Fearless and Fluffy
by Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus
Summary: Is the old railroad in Sakura's subconscious domain haunted? It's an excuse for hotshot Rubedo to solve a mystery, impress Sakura, and annoy his brothers. Which is scarier: a ghost, or an insanely jealous Albedo? Pre-Series. Complete.
1. Scary Squee!

_**Fearless and Fluffy**_

**SUMMARY**: Is the old railroad in Sakura's subconscious domain haunted? It's the perfect excuse for hotshot Rubedo to solve a mystery, impress Sakura, and nauseate the heck out of his brothers. Which is scarier: a ghost, or an insanely jealous Albedo?

**GENRE**: Romance/Mystery  
**RATED**: PG-13 / T  
**NOTABLE CONTENT**: Language and Mildly Suggestive Themes (and fluffy romance that may induce indigestion)  
**PAIRING(S)**: Rubedo/Sakura, Albedo/Rubedo

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Xenosaga  
_**STORY TAKES PLACE IN**: Pre-Miltian Conflict (specifically the timeline of Sakura's summer subconscious domain)

**COMMENTS**: The title of this fic tells all: _fluffy_! (You have been adequately warned)

Horror is an old love of mine. However, on occasion I find myself whipping up these spooky misadventures that aren't scary by any means, but are actually cute. (To any potential readers of this story also reading my slaughterhouse horror fic, "Carnage Necropolis," do know that this story will be _nothing_ like the aforementioned. Whether or not this is a good/bad thing will be up to readers to decide).

Thus, this story will have its share of semi-spooky humor and fluffy romance. Rubedo's big mouth and hotshot personality will be put to the test in this ghostly mystery. I do believe this fic is also the yaoiest thing I've written for Rubedo/Albedo, too (which doesn't say very much from Aiselne, does it?). Rubedo/Sakura is the most prominent pairing here, but…well, spoiling how Albedo/Rubedo fits into this story would be such a shame.

BTW, there _is _a railroad in Sakura's subconscious domain, right by the gas station. Wherever the railroad leads is anyone's guess, though. I realize that "haunted railroads" are an old cliché, but I've always liked them, and found such worked for this caliber of story. Creative license rocks, neh?

Without a doubt, this is my gift to Xenosaga fans this Halloween season. Enjoy!

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Fearless and Fluffy

_Aiselne Nocturnus_

**Chapter 1  
**"**Scary Squee!"**

It was another bright, beautiful day in Sakura Mizrahi's summer subconscious domain. The synthetic world was gorgeous to behold, almost too perfect for words. The sky resembled a serene baby blue canvas, occasionally decorated by small puffy white clouds lazily hovering overhead. Warm rays cascaded from the bright sun, enveloping the countryside in a warm, but comfortable, temperature. The breeze was gentle, skimming across the lush, rural planes, coercing the green grass and colorful flowers to elegantly sway to and fro. Occasionally, a few artificial sounds of chirping birds and buzzing bees could be heard from an unknown distance, adding to the domain's authenticity. For anyone who did not know better, they would have sworn this countryside was real.

Then again, for Rubedo, he found the Encephalon's world to be more real than his equally synthetic home back at the Yuriev Institute. However, Sakura's world was much more vibrant and carefree compared to the sterile environments of the institute. Plus, Encephalon dives were an excuse for Rubedo to get away from his father's strict lecturing and stricter workload. And above all, the subconscious domain gave Rubedo and his Variant brothers the rare opportunity to actually _be kids_. Sure, U.R.T.V.s technically had to train here, but what commandment stated thou shall not mix work with pleasure?

As always, upon first arriving in the Encephalon, the Variant boys first laid eyes upon the old abandoned gas station; sticking out like a rusty sore thumb amidst the rest of the lovely scenery. Once the concrete ground materialized beneath them, Rubedo stepped forward onto the station's pavement, spinning around once and listening to sand particles grind under his boots. Encephalon visits always put the redhead in a chipper mood, making it almost impossible for Rubedo not to feel energized and wear a giddy smile on his face.

Albedo and Nigredo, on the other hand, were significantly less enthusiastic than their older brother. To Nigredo, these Encephalon dives were not executed for "play time," but so the U.R.T.V.s could gain valuable anti-U-DO training. Nigredo doubted his giggly eldest brother would be smiling so much if Dmitri got on their case again about slacking off. Rubedo, especially, could not afford to get lazy and fool around, since he was the link master. Dr. Yuriev was already displeased with Rubedo's recent test evaluations, which were proving that Number 666 was not taking his job very seriously.

Of course, it was no secret 'why' the leader's concentration had been slipping, which was 'why' Albedo _despised _this damn subconscious domain. The middle child had nothing against Encephalon dives. In fact, he liked how they served as minute escapes from reality. However, this 'escape from reality' also happened to include a scrawny, shorthaired brunette with her prissy white dress, her stupid purple shoes, her nauseating smile, her irritating-as-all-hell girly giggle, not to mention her…

"Hi Rubedo! Good morning!"

…Not to mention the way her annoying voice lit up Rubedo's face like a traffic light! Albedo had to forcibly bite down on his lower lip to clamp his mouth shut as that obnoxious girl's idiotic shoes tapped across the paved street to meet the Variants. All she did was call out the redhead's name whilst skipping across the street…and already Rubedo looked mesmerized! Sure, perhaps Sakura _did_ look pretty, prancing elegantly as her long dress fluttered in the breeze, minutely accentuating her tiny figure. Perhaps her dark brown hair _did_ flow gracefully in the soft wind, occasionally tickling her cheekbones during her sprint. And maybe that white, flowing ribbon tying the back of her dress _was_ rather cute, but…

...But when all of that "pretty" crap wrapped herself around Rubedo, _that _was when Albedo did not find Sakura so cute anymore. That bratty girl laughed jovially, as if her arms were around some grand prize, and the worst part was the 'grand prize' wasted no time in _returning _the hug! If this segment happened two years ago, there was no way in hell Rubedo would want to get this close to a girl! If this segment happened two years ago, the _only _living soul Rubedo would have allowed to hug him would have been…

"Oh, and good morning to you, too, Albedo!"

Why ever the hell Sakura even bothered to acknowledge the other two Variants was a mystery to Albedo. It was pretty ding-dang-dong obvious Sakura was happiest to see Rubedo, and Albedo and Nigredo just happened to be tagging along for the sickening trip. If Sakura thought she was being "nice" by humoring/pitying Albedo and Nigredo, she was pretty damn stupid in Albedo's eyes. He did not want to be pitied, especially by a coquettish wench who hogged Rubedo all to herself and clearly disregarded Albedo's feelings on the matter.

But then again, Sakura was not the 'only' one who was naive to the middle child's feelings, too, seeing as Albedo's damn other half was even more oblivious than Sakura! Why the hell did Rubedo keep holding onto her like that?! It was disgusting! Rubedo was the link master for Heaven's sake, and yet he was still hugging Sakura like a teddy bear and wearing that goofy grin on his blushy face! It was disgusting, dammit, and aggravated Albedo's insides; his stomach churned, and his heart…ached.

Noticing Albedo's jealous dilemma across the mental link, Nigredo's teal eyes darted from the middle child to the eldest Variant. Nigredo half-expected Rubedo to wear a sour face at how rudely Albedo ignored Sakura's greeting. Alas, Nigredo would have been surprised if Rubedo even _noticed _the greeting, seeing as the redhead was so wrapped up in his precious Sakura at the moment. Albedo was right; their leader's behavior was rather inappropriate, and Rubedo seemed to forget that Dmitri monitored all Encephalon dive activities. No doubt, another lecture would be awaiting Rubedo once he dove-out.

In the meantime, Nigredo saw no point in being rude to Miss Mizrahi. Nigredo had nothing against Sakura, unlike Albedo who was cursing up a storm across the mental link as Rubedo's nose wandered into Sakura's fragrant hair. Even Nigredo was getting nauseous by now.

"Don't mind Albedo…" Nigredo said to Sakura, noticing she seemed perplexed as to why the middle Variant never responded to her greeting. "…He's just not very talkative today." Actually, that was an enormous lie, since Albedo's ranting and raving would not shut up across the mental link. Of course, Nigredo did not see the need to tell such to Sakura.

"Oh…" Sakura's face softened as her emerald eyes blinked, stealing a glance at the clearly irate Albedo, before figuring it best to leave the middle child alone. Even though Sakura also liked Albedo, she always suspected the white-haired Variant never liked her. Sakura did not want to unintentionally antagonize him. Though, Sakura never understood what she did to make Albedo dislike her so much, but maybe it was a 'boy thing.'

Turning back to Nigredo, Sakura brightened her face for the youngest boy's sake. "And last but not least, good morning to you, too, Nigredo," the brunette giggled sheepishly, not intending to forget all about the quiet raven-haired boy. Sakura knew she had a tendency to accidentally 'forget' about Albedo and Nigredo, but she never meant to exclude them. The girl did put a valiant effort in paying attention to all three Variants, but it was not always easy when one particular boy attracted her the most.

Speaking of Rubedo… "So what're you doing way out here, Sakura?" asked the redhead as he finally parted from the girl's hug (which seemed to take _forever _from Albedo's perspective). Contrary to his behavior, Rubedo was not naïve to his twin's thoughts across the mental link, though Rubedo was not about to condole Albedo's immature jealousy. The same happened whenever Rubedo spent more time with Nigredo, too. By now, the older twin was sick of humoring Albedo's possessive tantrums. Especially with Sakura present, Rubedo was not about to engage in another one of Albedo's 'episodes.' Thus, the link master quickly averted his attention back to the pretty Mizrahi girl. "We usually meet at your house on the other side of the windmills." Sakura's house was technically not too far from the gas station. Yet, reaching the house still required a jaunt through the domain's forest, which did not take five minutes to traverse, especially with various Gnosis around.

Smiling rather playfully, Sakura pulled a lock of her short brown hair behind an ear before explaining. "I know, but I really wanted to get some fresh air and walk around. So, I figured I'd meet you guys at the same time." Briefly, the girl stole a glance towards the countryside bathed in radiant sunlight. At the same time, a sudden wind gust lifted a few loose grass blades and flower petals up into the sky. "It's such a lovely day that I'd hate to waste it by being cooped up in the house."

Rubedo could not help but agree. There were so many days back in the institute where the boy wished he could go play outside like a normal kid. Alas, his illustrious father always had some project for the U.R.T.V.s to undertake. Rubedo and his siblings rarely got to play, never mind enjoy the weather. Thus, like Sakura, Rubedo had every intention of savoring today's trip to Sakura's summer domain.

"So…" began Sakura, turning around just enough to equally address all three Variants. Casually folding her hands behind her back, the brunette's eyes perused Rubedo, Albedo, and Nigredo's faces. "…What do you guys want to do today? Or, do you have some special anti-U-DO training first?"

Technically, any time the U.R.T.V.s visited Sakura's subconscious, the Designer Children always had some training to do. Dmitri did not send his kids into the Encephalon just to fool around. Yet, for however rigid the man acted, he did not seem to mind if the kids played…_provided they still got their assigned work done upon dive-out_. As long as the training was complete and the U.R.T.V.s behaved themselves, Dmitri did not frequently complain about the kid's "playtime" with Sakura. Of course, that did not mean the U.R.T.V.s were exempt from occasional "remember to take your jobs seriously" lectures, but that was to be expected. Frankly, Rubedo would not have been surprised if Juli Mizrahi asked Dmitri to allow his U.R.T.V.s to play with her daughter, for _all _the kids' sakes. Either way, Rubedo did not mind.

"Well…" Rubedo thought, exchanging glances with his Variant brothers. "…Dad did tell us to keep an eye out for anymore infected units, but nothing different from yesterday." Frankly, the chore was getting boring for Rubedo, but it sounded better than that 'U-DO simulator' the U.R.T.V.s were scheduled to undertake next month. Still, today was too lovely of a day to waste on mundane errands. "…But we've already swept most of the area, anyway." Such was no lie, since the Variants had scoured Sakura's summer domain clean of infected U.R.T.V.s during the past few months. Even if the kids did come across another infected child, it would probably only be one.

Sakura was glad to hear her friends had a light workload today, meaning the four kids would have ample time for fun. Alas, Rubedo's words also struck a cord within Sakura. _"We've already swept most of the area." _That was true in more ways than one. In addition to the infected U.R.T.V. sweeping, Sakura also knew that as beautiful as her subconscious domain looked, it was constantly the _same_. After a while, the Variants were bound to get bored with their typical games of "Hide and Go Seek" in the woods, or counting clouds in the fields, or racing to Sakura's house. Frankly, even Sakura was getting tired of the redundancy, though she certainly was not tired of meeting Rubedo and his brothers. Still, it would have been nice to enjoy this weather whilst doing something new. Life was too short, especially for Sakura, to live in a perpetual cycle.

Fortunately, finding something 'new' to do was not difficult to find, especially with someone as rambunctious as Rubedo around. Before Sakura, Albedo, and Nigredo could even react, the redhead noticed 'something' and broke into a sprint down the southern end of the road. Exchanging curious looks, the remaining trio quickly pursued. The threesome caught up to Rubedo upon reaching long dropped-down gates, halting passage to the brown tracks slicing horizontally across the pavement.

Rubedo was not too sure what purpose the white and red striped 'gates' served. However, he was almost certain he read about whatever those 'tracks' were on the other side. The tracks were a bit more obvious, though still unlike anything Rubedo saw in real life. For one thing, they were made of wood, albeit very rotted wood, with a few tracks of rusty metal on top. Various weeds and dirt obscured the filthy tracks, hinting that they had not been used for quite some time.

Even still, Rubedo was more than intrigued. "Are those…" the redhead wondered, turning his head back to Sakura. "…Railroad tracks?"

Sakura knew Rubedo must have read about railroads in another one of his precious books. This was the first time she introduced the U.R.T.V.s to the old railroad situated in her domain. Rubedo obviously did not previously learn about railroads from Sakura. Plus, railroads had not been built or used since the Lost Jerusalem era. Such rail lines had been replaced by more technologically advanced means of transportation, such as shuttles. Thus, it was no wonder how the vintage railroad fascinated Rubedo; a U.R.T.V. who lived in, and rarely left, an advanced bioweapon research facility.

"They sure are, Rubedo," nodded Sakura, unable to prevent a smile when she noticed Rubedo's eyes and face light up again in fascination. The boy definitely had a fixation with antiques. Such was a little quirk Sakura considered a rare quality few people held in such a technological era in history. Frankly, Sakura liked Rubedo's individuality, as it was what made him the Rubedo who attracted her.

Giggling to herself upon feeling a faint blush warm her cheeks, Sakura then looked back at the railroad tracks. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure what they're doing here, though," she admitted, placing a hand casually onto the old dropped-down barricade used to keep people off the tracks. "I think I recall my mom saying how some of my ancestors were engineers who built railroads a _looong_ time ago, so I'm assuming the idea was projected here."

"Cool!" Rubedo gushed, wearing another one of his perpetual grins before turning towards his brothers, who looked less enthusiastic about the railroad. Both younger Variants looked bored enough to sleep at the moment. Jeez, Nigredo and Albedo were always such killjoys when it came to antiques! "Oh _come' on _you two!" goaded Rubedo in an exaggerated tone, wearing an incredulous look on his face. "Don't tell me you don't think this is cool!"

Nigredo and Albedo could think of much more exciting things to dub "cool" than a set of rusty old railroad tracks. To a certain extent, Nigredo respected Lost Jerusalem antiques, too, just to a lesser obsession than Rubedo. Nigredo was mature enough to believe that relics of the past could teach valuable lessens for present generations. However, even Nigredo doubted crummy railroad tracks could provide an inordinate amount of valuable education.

And as far as Albedo was concerned, he could care less about the stupid railroad! The flirtatious cherry shrew just battled _another _green eye to Rubedo, _and _she just nudged an inch and three quarters closer to Rubedo, too! (Not that Albedo was keeping track or anything).

Narrowing his blue eyes at his boring brothers, Rubedo shrugged indifferently. To hell with Albedo and Nigredo! Sakura sure seemed interested in the railroad. Thus, the redhead gave his attention to the only other member of the group who shared his enthusiasm regarding the railroad. "So, do you know where the railroad leads, Sakura?" From the kids' position at the railroad crossing gates, Rubedo could tell the rail line went far off into the distance, so far Rubedo could not tell where it ended. The curious redhead could only imagine what lay at the 'end of the line.'

Smiling at his boyish inquiring, Sakura giggled before shaking her head gently. "I'm afraid to say that even I don't know where the railroad leads. I never paid much attention to it before, and it looks so far that I never got to where it ended." After saying so, Sakura leaned closer against the metal barricade to try and see in the distance where the rail line ended. Of course, in leaning further, she happened to accidentally nudge closer to Rubedo, causing the redhead's face to match his hair.

Albedo's face was the same color, too, but for much _different_ reasons. It was _no _'accident' how that harridan leaned up against Rubedo! _'Accident' my ass!_ Albedo swore, feeling his blood boil through his veins, his teeth grind, and his fists ball into dangerous fists.

"Odds are…" Nigredo suddenly voiced, attempting to keep Rubedo and Sakura's attention away from the fuming Albedo. Speaking of the middle child, Nigredo wasted no time in placing a hand on Albedo's tense shoulder…specifically digging his nails into the shoulder to keep Albedo from exploding in fury. This was not the place for Albedo to have another episode! Fortunately, and par usual, Rubedo and Sakura were too lost in their own world to notice whatever the hell Albedo and Nigredo were up to. "…The railroad probably doesn't lead to _anywhere_. It's most likely just a projected image for this specific area of the domain."

Judging by the fact that they could not see the 'end' of the railroad, Nigredo was probably right. There were various areas throughout Sakura's subconscious domain that quite literally led to nowhere, typically undeveloped areas in the Encephalon. Technically, a subconscious domain projection was only so large, and it did have 'walls' where the Encephalon 'ended.' Such was especially common in domains built via 'broken memories,' where only portions of the world materialized based on the person's limited recollection. Thus, if Sakura, herself, did not fully remember the railroad, chances were that the projected railroad before the kids' eyes was only partially materialized according to her vague memory. Like Nigredo figured, the railroad probably lead to nowhere.

Still, Rubedo could not help but consider his brother's deduction rather anti-climactic. Sure, the redhead could not see the end of the line, but that did not necessarily mean there was no end, either. It was the same belief concerning U-DO; just because the U.R.T.V.s never saw it, nor understood it, never meant U-DO did not exist. Thus, there was no reason to assume the railroad lead to nowhere…unless the kids saw for themselves.

"Well, why don't we see for ourselves?" Rubedo suggested with a confident expression, whilst turning around to face his three surprised friends. 'Why' they were so surprised was the mystery, seeing as Rubedo was quite notorious for suggesting little adventures like these. "It's not like we have anything better to do, today."

There went the plans for today's anti-U-DO training, and Nigredo could already hear Dmitri's lectures. Hopefully, seeing as today was not a 'busy' training day, the U.R.T.V.s' father would not mind this little detour. Maybe if they got lucky, the kids would run into another infected U.R.T.V. along the railroad, at least to prove they did something productive today. Besides, the railroad was the only other location in Sakura's domain that the Variants had yet to survey, so perhaps Rubedo's adventure _would _prove helpful. Either way, Nigredo knew he was going to get roped into the sabbatical.

And as far as Albedo was concerned, he still could care less about the dumb railroad! Why the hell did that brunette temptress keep shifting her weight like that?! Sakura kept not-so-discreetly swaying side to side, making her white dress brush up against Rubedo's leg! It was obviously driving Rubedo crazy…and the same applied to Albedo!

However, there was a reason for Sakura's jittery shifts, and none of them had anything to do with flirting. Fiddling with her fingers, Sakura hesitantly darted her eyes back to the railroad for a second, before curling her lips and timidly turning back to Rubedo. She was rather embarrassed to admit what she was about to speak, but trusted Rubedo would not laugh.

"Well…you see…the thing is…" Sakura stammered, knowing she was not making much sense at the moment, judging by Rubedo's curious blink. "…I've always been kinda'…." She paused, swallowing nervously before feeling a line of blush run across her nose, though the blush, for once, was not due to Rubedo, but of Sakura's own awkwardness. "…I've always been a bit spooked by that railroad. I never usually bothered with it, cause'…when I was younger, long before you guys showed up, something…'weird' happened."

""Weird'?" Rubedo blinked again, cocking his head before taking careful notice of Sakura. She obviously was not lying, since her body kept shifting in a nervous manner, fidgeting like a scared little girl. Every so often she would shuffle a purple shoe against the pavement. Her emerald eyes even involuntarily watched her foot create imaginary circles. Considering Sakura was usually very outgoing and almost as free-spirited as Rubedo, it was rare to see Sakura Mizrahi look frightened.

Her pitiful sight was all it took for Rubedo to offer Sakura a gentle, comforting arm around her shoulders. The gesture easily coerced the girl to look up from her feet to Rubedo. Meeting with his gentle blue eyes provoked an appreciative smile on Sakura's lips. Blissfully closing her own eyes, the girl gingerly rested her head underneath the boy's chin.

Sakura's ears being so close to his chest, Rubedo wondered if she could hear the rapid pounding of his heart, which seemed deafening to Rubedo. He could feel himself tense by her sweet proximity, and his cheeks were burning brightly. Still, such was not necessarily a 'bad' feeling, and Rubedo had a hard time preventing his own lips from curling into a smile. Honestly, he liked being this close to Sakura.

As for Albedo…Nigredo's fingers were turning white after digging into the enraged white-haired boy's vibrating shoulder for so long. Alas, Nigredo knew if he dared to let go, Albedo would go ballistic. Nigredo's fingers were all that plugged up an overfilled steaming pipe before it burst into a gigantic mess.

Still willingly oblivious to his younger brothers, Rubedo kept his attention on the skittish Sakura, affectionately rubbing her shoulder. "Come' on, Sakura. You can tell us about it," he reassured, hoping to encourage the girl to confess what 'spooked' her about the railroad. All four kids were friends, after all, so there was no need for Sakura to hide anything from the Variant boys, especially Rubedo. "Tell me."

Sakura's hesitation was not due to a lack of trust. Technically, the girl placed her very life in the hands of the U.R.T.V. Variants regarding her disorder. There was no doubt in Sakura's mind that she could trust Rubedo and his brothers. The only reason Sakura hesitated was because she was embarrassed of _herself_. She was not typically the type of girl to act like a 'scared little girl.' For her age, Sakura was quite independent and not afraid of typical 'girl fears' like spiders. She had her share of fears like anyone else, but Sakura prided herself in knowing she was 'tougher' than average girls. She was not the most ladylike of females, either, which helped her enjoy outings with the Variant boys, such as playing in the grass. Such dubbed her a tomboy, but Sakura never minded, and Rubedo obviously did not mind, either.

Yet, here she was, tomboyish Sakura Mizrahi being scared of a 'girl fear.' Sakura had long since gotten over the phase of 'monsters in her closet,' or 'the creature hiding under her bed.' Yet, lo and behold, this 'railroad' phobia stuck to the girl like glue. She was not afraid of the railroad, per se, but…

"…Well, it happened many years ago," Sakura started, lifting herself away from Rubedo to more properly address the boys. Absentmindedly ironing her skirt with her palms, the brunette then nervously fiddled with her hands, failing to keep them still. Swallowing a gulp of air, Sakura mustered her courage before divulging her silly little story. "I was restless in my empty house, so I went out for a walk here, just like today. It was the first time I noticed those railroad tracks, so I was excited about them. Plus, it was a great excuse to see a new part of the domain.

"So…I took a stroll along the tracks. They're really long, that's for sure, and I have a feeling Nigredo's right about them leading to nowhere. Either way, I didn't get very far, though…" She trailed, noticing her green eyes droop back down to her shoes again. This was the hardest part, the part Sakura was afraid to admit to the boys. Would they laugh, often like typical boys would towards a scared little girl? What if they relayed the news to Dr. Mizrahi? Great, then Sakura's mom would think her daughter was a total fraidy cat!

_No…they wouldn't do that_, Sakura knew, finally lifting her gaze back at the trustworthy boys. Rubedo, Albedo, and Nigredo were notorious for teasing the heck out of each other, but they were gentlemen enough not to do it to a girl, especially one as special as Sakura. Plus, the girl doubted the boys would broadcast Sakura's little secret to Juli, especially if Sakura kindly asked them not to. All Sakura had to do was peer into Rubedo's sincere azure eyes to know that _I can trust them._

Taking another breath and releasing it, Sakura used her newfound spark of confidence to finish what she started. "There was this odd platform I came across," she attempted to explain to the best of her ability. "It rose from the ground about a foot, and was covered by an overhead canopy. It had a bench, too. I think…I think it was originally used for people waiting to get on the train, kinda' like those old bus stops, except for trains. I know it wasn't an actual train 'station,' solely because it was too small to be one.

"Anyway, I decided to take a quick break on the platform's bench, and that's when…" She could not help it; her tongue tied inside her mouth, as if it had a will of its own and did not want her to divulge the truth. Her lips curled in an anxious way, while her body continued to shift awkwardly. It was not as though she was about to divulge some deep dark secret, but Sakura was not used to behaving like a timid girl. She was not shy by any means. Quite the contrary, Sakura Mizrahi was very quite bold…bold enough to kiss the boy she loved, after all.

_Rubedo…_

Such a wonderful memory filled Sakura with a lovely warmth, along with the remaining confidence she needed to finish her prolonged confession. "…That was when…" Sakura continued, keeping her eyes namely on Rubedo for strength. "…When I felt a _presence_. It was faint, but I felt an odd chill as I sat there, as if there was…someone else sitting next to me. The weird part was…there was no need to be chilled, since it was a warm day like today. Besides, there was nobody else inside my domain at the time!

"Either way, I didn't stay there for very long. I felt…repelled from that place, so I tried to leave. But the strangest part was how the second I tried to leave, I could have sworn I heard…a whistle. You' know, the kind trains used. It was faint, but I'm sure I heard it."

Her story was getting weirder and weirder. "Did a train come, Sakura?" Rubedo carefully asked, trying to keep the girl talking without making the moment anymore uncomfortable. Folding his arms across his chest, the red-haired boy attempted to piece together some sense of logic from Sakura's tale. "If it did, maybe the line _does_ go somewhere."

"Maybe," shrugged Sakura while biting her lip. "But I didn't stick around long enough to find out. That 'presence' kept bothering me, so I left as quickly as I could. I never saw any train go by."

"If there was any actual train, chances are you would have seen it," Nigredo decided to suggest, more or less to get his mind off restraining Albedo. "That, or you would have definitely heard the whistle it again."

"My thoughts exactly, Nigredo," Sakura nodded in full agreement before unleashing another sigh. "But the fact is, I never saw or heard the train afterwards."

"Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?" wondered Rubedo. He was not denying Sakura's honesty, but he knew children's minds did occasionally get the best of them. Rubedo's imagination was a perfect example sometimes, especially whenever Sakura crept into his thoughts…_hehe…_

Noticing the blush reappear on Rubedo's cheeks, Albedo did not even have to tap into the mental link to know what, or _who_, his twin was thinking about. Only one person could make Rubedo blush like _that_, and Albedo snarled in fury as he glared his violet eyes at the brunette culprit. Unable to break free from Nigredo's grip, Albedo did the next best thing and blasted Sakura across the mental link. _Damn you!_

Of course, Sakura never heard the middle Variant's tirade, and innocently continued the conversation. "Maybe I did imagine the whistle," Sakura shrugged, though her voice was not very convincing. "Considering the area I was in, I was probably thinking about trains at the time. Perhaps the whistle was some sort of case-sensitive subconscious sensation, one I only thought of the sound because it related to the trains I was thinking about.

"But the presence…" Sakura knew with a much higher degree of certainty. "…That was _much_ more realistic. It chilled me to the bone, as if something was lurking over my shoulder the whole time, silently egging me to leave before it was too late. I could feel my heart pounding and my body sweating nervously. I was…scared…" she finally admitted, lowering her head enough to cover her embarrassed face with her dark brown hair whilst staring at her shoes.

Her purple shoes did not stay in sight for very long before Sakura felt her head involuntarily lift back up. Gentle fingers cupped the girl's chin. Blinking, her emerald eyes instantly met with a familiar pair of sapphires, so close the vicinity made both kids blush. Sakura's cheeks turned especially red when she finally noticed Rubedo's hand gently caressing her flushed face.

"Hey, it's okay," Rubedo reassured with another one of his kind smiles, easily encouraging Sakura's lips to return the smile. Gingerly stroking his fingers against her cheekbone, Rubedo's smile parted to release a giggle alongside a confident wink. "You don't have to be scared when I'm around."

Giggling, herself, Sakura placed a hand over Rubedo's, blissfully pressing his caressing palm to her warm cheek. She always felt safest with him around, and hearing Rubedo's kind words made Sakura feel better about her silly little phobia. It was during times like these, when Rubedo showed his sweetest side to her, that Sakura wanted to reward him with another kiss. Leaning closer, Sakura whispered, "Oh Rubedo…"

_Oh God, have mercy on my soul! _Nigredo prayed in wide-eyed exasperation as he noticed Sakura inch closer to his oldest brother. Nigredo may have been the most mature and tolerant of the Variant boys, but even he had his limits when it came to this excessive mush. If Rubedo and Sakura continued their nauseating little show, Nigredo was going to have to make a trip to the gas station's outhouse! He had nothing against two kids undergoing puppy love, but even nonchalant Nigredo could feel his own stomach churning. Rubedo was especially difficult for Nigredo to watch without feeling sick. Clear as day, the link master kept mimicking all those damn corny romance novels he read. _Casanova here will make me hurl he keeps smooth-taking Sakura like this._

For once, Albedo could not agree more with Nigredo. Rubedo's behavior was disgusting, dammit; the way he kept smiling at Sakura, caressing her cheek and whispering sweet words only to _her_! The two lovebirds were always flirting with each other and it sickened Albedo! Why the hell did Rubedo act so nice to _her_?! What was so damn special about _her_?! Albedo originally thought Rubedo was just nice to Sakura due to her illness, but obviously, matters and feelings had deepened. This was not a boy being nice to a girl out of sympathy; this was a boy being nice to a girl…because he really, _really_ liked her.

It was not fair, dammit. That wench only knew Rubedo for a few months, which was minuscule compared to someone who knew the redhead _all his life_!

"Tell ya what, Sakura!" Rubedo suddenly perked energetically, parting from Sakura (before any kissy-kissy ensued, much to Nigredo and Albedo's unprecedented relief). Instead, the leader flashed Sakura another confident grin. "We'll go down to that same platform and see for ourselves what that presence was," Rubedo suggested, not at all surprised to see Sakura's green eyes widen nervously. To make sure he did not scare her, the redhead's grin broadened while he balled a confident fist to his chest. "And when we find whatever that presence was, I'm gonna' kick it's ass for scaring you!"

_Provided the 'presence' even HAS an ass for him to kick_, Nigredo rolled his teal eyes, listening to Sakura giggle appreciatively over Rubedo's overblown boast. _Quite frankly, HIS ass might get kicked if Rubedo doesn't stop nauseating Albedo and me_. Rubedo was typically the brother noted for instigating roughhousing. Yet, that did not mean Nigredo and Albedo would mind ganging up against Rubedo if the redhead kept acting so damn macho. Judging by Albedo's obscenities across the mental link, it was pretty obvious that the middle child was ready to literally knock some sense into his twin.

"Well, what're you two waiting for?" Rubedo's voice suddenly piped up, drawing Nigredo and Albedo's attentions once their brother finally decided to acknowledge them. By then, Sakura was already by Rubedo's side, a bit 'too' close to an arm for Albedo's comfort. Albedo knew from experience that Sakura was mere seconds away from wrapping her arms around Rubedo's, much like the 'damsel in distress' would do with her hero. Rubedo _must_ have been enjoying this little fairytale.

Albedo, on the other hand…

"Come' on," interrupted Rubedo, pointing a finger in the direction of the railroad, seemingly leading to nowhere. Albedo and Nigredo knew that specific tone Rubedo used to address his brothers, common for whenever the leader started a mission. "Albedo, Nigredo, let's go!"

His confidence usually encouraged the younger brothers to do as told. However, today, after Rubedo's little show with Sakura, neither Nigredo nor Albedo was in the mood to follow. If Sakura was tagging along for the trip, then plenty more nausea was ahead for the Variants. All of a sudden, anti-U-DO training was looking very appealing to Albedo and Nigredo.

"Um…you' know," Nigredo started, knowing Albedo was in no mood to reply to his twin's orders, at least without going hysterical. The youngest Variant was attempting to maintain some sliver of peace in this subconscious domain. "Why don't you two go on ahead? Albedo and I will stick around here and keep an eye out for any infectees or Gnosis." Spending the afternoon with a ranting Albedo was no picnic, but it was the lesser of two evils. Right now, Nigredo would rather do anything, other than watching Rubedo and Sakura's soap opera.

Rubedo was somewhat surprised at how his brothers disregarded his invitation. Exploring the railroad was sure to be a fun change in plans, so why did his little brothers have to be such killjoys? He was especially surprised with Albedo, considering one twin rarely went somewhere without the other. But if Albedo was only going to be tagging along with a puss on his face, Rubedo saw no point in his twin following. Rubedo wanted this railroad adventure to be fun, and he did not want his annoying brother to spoil it on account of another hissy fit.

"Alright then. Suit yourselves," shrugged Rubedo, before glancing at Sakura by his side. He was not too disappointed that his brothers bowed-out of the adventure. Today would mark the first time Rubedo and Sakura ventured off _alone_, and the idea thrilled Rubedo. It would be just like in those spooky horror novels, where a couple would be caught in some terrifying scenario. As always, the timid female would be afraid and need to seek comfort in her 'strong brave boyfriend.' Rubedo was getting a few very nice mental images of a screaming Sakura wrapping her arms around him for dear life. And, of course, the 'strong brave boyfriend' would _have_ to vanquish the frightening demons. Then the girl would _have_ to reward him with a kiss, perhaps adding some sweet words like _"you're my hero, Rubedo!"_

Oh yes, Rubedo was not going to mind this arrangement! Unable to keep a mischievous, fanciful grin off his blush-tinted face, Rubedo barely muttered a victorious "C'ya!" to his unexciting brothers. Thereafter, the smirky lovesick boy grabbed Sakura's hand and raced down the railroad tracks. Oh yes, this was going to be a _very_ fun adventure!

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N**: I did warn you about the fluff, didn't I? Hehe, boy this chapter was fun to write! Rubedo's totally full of it in this story, though don't think he'll be on his high horse for long (*inserts evil laugh*). Come' on, do you _reeeeally _think his idealistic "strong brave boyfriend / You're my hero, Rubedo" fantasy is gonna' happen? (Who _else _yelled out "dream on, Casanova!"?) Ah well, hormonal young boys in love are always entertaining. Lots more Rubedo/Sakura spooky squee is ahead. And Albedo and Nigredo? Don't worry, they won't be forgotten at all. I certainly can't forget about poor Albedo (*hugs*). Chapter 2 will be posted sometime next week.

I'd love any reviews. I accept all forms of character gushing, too (especially regarding a certain hotheaded redhead). Hehe. ^_^


	2. A White Ghost and Black Shadow

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Xenosaga_

**COMMENTS**: Honestly, I'm not an overly big fan of "Albedo envies Sakura" stories, solely because they've been done so many times before in fanfiction. Alas, the jealousy cliché worked in this story, so I set aside my personal preferences. Aiya, I was so cruel to Albedo in Chapter 1, wasn't I? Ah well, anyone who knows me knows I've got a *big* weakness for Rubedo's other half. You guys know the tables will eventually turn in Albedo's favor…or will they? Hehe…read on and you'll find out! ^_^

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**Fearless and Fluffy**

_Aiselne Nocturnus_

**Chapter 2  
"A White Ghost and Black Shadow"**

With fingers scraping the pavement, the white-haired Variant snarled angrily as he painfully scooped up a nearby stone and hurled it at the railroad crossing gates. A sharp ping resounded from the rock dinging the metal barricade, while the stone bounced off and flew away into the unknown. Minutely, the dented metal bar swayed and vibrated as an aftereffect of the impact, as if the inanimate gate feared the enraged U.R.T.V. would throw another rock. Judging by his ablaze violet eyes and gasped air puffing from his agape mouth, Albedo looked ready to murder the first thing that dared cross his path.

Such was why Nigredo stayed a safe distance away from his infuriated older brother. Nigredo was physically strong enough to defend himself in the event the enraged Albedo decided to take out his frustrations on the baby Variant. Yet, Nigredo did not want matters to get to such a dire point. The youngest brother was non-confrontational, unlike Albedo who seemed to pick fights with almost everyone he met; the standard U.R.T.V.s, Sakura…

"Bitch," Albedo cursed under his breath, glaring at the spot he last saw that wench grappling onto Rubedo. The thought alone caused Albedo's blood to boil all over again. He scowled at the crossing gates as if he had the power to melt them with his eyes. Albedo hated _everything _at the moment! He hated the stupid railroad, he hated Sakura, and he _especially _hated his twin for being so freaking dense! Albedo blamed Sakura for taking Rubedo away, but he also blamed Rubedo for willingly walking into that black widow's web! Sakura did not have to ensnare Rubedo into her web! The oblivious redhead practically tied himself to her trap, all the while wearing that peppy, blushy little smirk on his face!

In some ways, Albedo hated Rubedo more than Sakura. Sakura was loathsome for taking Rubedo away, but Rubedo was no nobler for willingly leaving Albedo behind. Unfortunately, Albedo found it a bit harder to curse his other half, no matter how enraged Albedo felt, or how foolish Rubedo behaved.

It was so unfair. No matter how much he thought he hated his twin, Albedo still could not break their bond. And yet, Rubedo did not seem to mind doing the honors.

It was so unfair.

Noticing Albedo's anger mellow into sadness encouraged Nigredo to safely close the gap between him and his older brother. It was amazing how quickly Albedo fluctuated between emotions; one minute on a rampage, the next slouched and sniffling back oncoming tears. Nigredo did not even have to tap into the mental link to know why Albedo's mood dramatically changed. Scenarios like this happened every time Albedo felt left behind. In a way, Nigredo felt a little unappreciated, seeing as he was still by Albedo's side, and yet the white-haired boy did not seem to notice! Of course, considering Albedo's little universe revolved around his twin, Albedo rarely noticed anyone else. During times like these, Nigredo liked to remind his disheartened friend that, Rubedo or no Rubedo, Nigredo was still by Albedo's side.

"Hey, don't let it get to you, Albedo," encouraged Nigredo, wearing a discreet, yet warm, smile only noticeable by one closest to him. Despite Nigredo's words, it was obvious that Albedo had long since let matters 'get to him.' Upon noticing the white-haired Variant wipe his nose on his sleeve, Nigredo gently placed a hand on Albedo's nearest shoulder. "Look at it this way; letting those two go off on their own spares us from another nauseating episode of 'Rubedo and Juliet'."

Albedo did not want to, nor could he help it, but a minute laugh choked out of his mouth. Nigredo was not usually the comical type, but every once and a while the otherwise boring baby brother pulled out some comment that brought a smile to Albedo's face. There was one 'other' consolation to this matter; while Rubedo was off gallivanting with Sakura, Albedo and Nigredo could poke fun at how stupid their older brother acted.

Sniffling again as his tears vanished, Albedo finally parted a distance from Nigredo's comforting hand. A few steps later, the middle Variant turned around and flashed the black-haired boy a devilish grin. "Very true, though I think you were closer with your 'Casanova' comment from earlier," Albedo noted, clearly having heard Nigredo's remark across the mental link. "God knows Rubedo's no Shakespeare, regardless if he reads that crap."

"Trust me, he's no Casanova, either," Nigredo replied matter-of-factly, both brothers taking a sadistic pleasure in this snide little conversation. "If I were Sakura, I'd stay country miles away from Rubedo and his so-called smooth-talking. Then again, I guess girls eat that stuff up."

"Yeah, until Mr. Eloquent starts shooting his big mouth off again," huffed Albedo. "You know as well as I do the only language Rubedo knows how to speak fluently is _profanity_."

"I'm sure _that _will turn Sakura on. There's nothing more romantic than saying 'I love you, bitch.' That's crudely oxymoronic if you ask me."

"Heh, wouldn't it be funny if he made a slip like that, Nigredo?"

"It wouldn't take much, that's for sure. Whenever Rubedo gets riled up his mouth gets a mind of its own and says whatever first pops into his head."

"Yeah, like the time he banged his head in his pod during dive-out?"

"…And he absentmindedly screamed 'you Goddamn bitch!' right in front of Dr. Mizrahi? Yes, that was a shining moment of Rubedo's. It's a miracle the doctor is an understanding woman."

"Oh, I'd love it if he said something like that to Sakura!"

"Actually, Rubedo's pretty good at censoring himself around her. He definitely keeps the obscenities to a minimum around Sakura: just one or two cusses here and there, which is mild compared to his 'usual' track record. I get the impression Rubedo doesn't want Sakura to know about his 'bad habit.' Though, like I said, it wouldn't take much for him to slip-up once."

"Heheh, no, it certainly _wouldn't_, Nigredo," Albedo snickered devilishly, licking his curled lips as a wicked little scheme crept into his head. Rubedo was best known for formulating mischievous plots. However, since he and Albedo were once a single body, both twins inherited balanced amounts of differences and similarities. Thus, Albedo had a mischievous streak in him from time to time, very reminiscent of his older brother…typically whenever he wanted to _get even_ with his older brother.

Knowing where this conversation was headed, Nigredo raised his hands defensively, passively waving them before his grinning brother. "I don't want to get in the middle of whatever those two are up to out there, Albedo."

"Why?" innocently shrugged Albedo, before leaning closer to the non-confrontational Nigredo and wearing a smirk keenly similar to Rubedo's. "Don't tell me the '_baby _Variant' is scared of whatever Sakura thinks haunts that place!"

"Far from it, Albedo," Nigredo nonchalantly replied. Despite his age, Nigredo prided himself in knowing he did not retain typical childhood fears, such as being afraid of ghosts or goblins. The black-haired Variant had long since matured to a higher level. He also knew Albedo certainly was not one to tease a person about fears. Nigredo could recall several nights during their youths when a frightened Albedo would wake up in the middle of the night, wailing and running to Rubedo for one reason or another. Notorious reasons included how Albedo thought he heard some 'creepy sound' coming from the closet, or heard 'something' under his bed, and so on. Nine times out of ten, the culprit of those noises was not some ghost or boogeyman, but Gaignun wandering around late at night. Rubedo was infamous for dubbing Albedo a bigger fraidy cat than Gaignun.

Reading Nigredo's thoughts, and realizing he was not presenting a convincing argument, Albedo shrugged off the thoughts before continuing. "All I'm suggesting is that maybe the railroad _is_ haunted," Albedo grinned like a madman, loving his plan the more he thought about it. "Say, by one 'white ghost' and one 'black shadow'?"

Nigredo knew where this conversation was headed, too. Narrowing his jade eyes unemotionally, the black-haired boy sighed as he watched Albedo's violet eyes light up with excitement. It was strange how Albedo took an odd sense of pleasure in bugging his brother, and vice versa. Obviously, it only deepened the twin's weird relationship. "Rubedo's gonna' kill you if he finds out, Albedo."

"Provided he finds out," Albedo countered with a factual raised index finger. "Are you kidding me?! He's so wrapped up in his precious Sakura right now to notice us! Sure, he'll catch onto us the second he taps into the mental link, but we'll just disconnect ourselves from the link. Then Rubedo won't know what we're up to!"

"And what exactly are '_we_' going to be up to, Albedo?" Nigredo dared to ask, loving how Albedo conveniently roped the baby Variant into his kamikaze mission _without_ Nigredo's consent.

Whilst formulating the ingenious plan in his head, Albedo could not help but imagine the look on Rubedo's face when the scheme was executed. Sure, Rubedo would be pissed; his face would probably be redder than his hair, and his lovely mouth would definitely curse up a storm. Yet, Albedo considered such poetic justice. It would serve Rubedo damn right after all the ignoring he did to Albedo lately! Oh, revenge was sweet.

"You heard his thoughts across the link, Nigredo," Albedo recalled, narrowing his purple eyes towards his youngest brother. "He wants Sakura to think he's a big tough-guy, willing to protect his damsel in distress from some cockamamie ghost or something. Now don't you think Rubedo should put his money where his big mouth is?"

Truthfully, Nigredo's answer to Albedo's question was 'yes.' On one hand, Nigredo was very interested in seeing if his cocky older brother could live up to his overblown boast. Granted, Rubedo was certainly a very brave and courageous leader. However, Rubedo, like his brothers, was also just a kid, too. It did not happen often, but occasionally even Rubedo got scared.

Yet, on the other hand, Nigredo doubted any 'ghost' or 'shadow' would frighten Rubedo. If Rubedo got scared, he got scared for more dire reasons, such as a life-or-death situation, not by foolish childhood fears like ghosts! Nigredo could only imagine what the 'white ghost' and 'black shadow' might be up to during their pathetic attempt at spooking Rubedo. The youngest brother was getting 'scary' mental thoughts of him and Albedo throwing sheets over themselves and howling like idiots. If they did that, chances were, the second the brothers removed the sheets Rubedo would reward them with bloody noses. Their punishments might even get _worse _if Albedo and Nigredo 'interrupt' anything between Rubedo and Sakura. Knowing their luck, Nigredo and Albedo would make their début just before Sakura would give Rubedo that kiss he was dying to receive. And if his younger brothers ruined such a moment, Rubedo was _NOT going to be a happy_! Albedo's scheme had 'death penalty' written all over it!

Nigredo greatly wanted to knock Rubedo down a 'peg or two.' However, the black-haired boy was wise to know that doing so would result in a 'Rubedo rampage' Nigredo was not brave enough to instigate. Plus, Nigredo knew that while Albedo was enjoying this 'let's bug Rubedo' idea, Nigredo knew if Rubedo got ticked enough, events would end very badly. If the bloody noses did not ensue, screams and tears would, and Nigredo was not in the mood to deal with the twins and another one of their episodes. Plus, Rubedo and Albedo aside, there was still _Sakura _to keep in mind, too. It was not fair to entangle her in the Variants' foolishness.

"Look," sighed Nigredo, allowing his mature personality and composure to override his nagging, childish desire to pull a few pranks on Rubedo. Yes, even Nigredo occasionally enjoyed acting like a typical twelve-year-old kid, but he also prided himself in knowing he was a _helluva _lot more mature than his older brothers. "I'm just as sick of Rubedo's behavior as you are. But, I also know it's suicide to bug Rubedo when he's like this. He has a short fuse as it is. Besides, I don't want to scare Sakura, either, and she seems more skittish than Rubedo. She'll most likely get scared before Rubedo does."

True, but at the moment, if Albedo managed to scare Rubedo _and _that conniving cherry harridan, Albedo would be very satisfied. Unfortunately, if Sakura got scared first, there was a chance that Albedo's scheme might backfire in the form of Rubedo 'saving the day.' Knowing Albedo's hotshot half-heart, Rubedo would jump at any opportunity to resume his role as Sakura's 'hero.' If that happened, more kissy-kissy crap may ensue! Albedo did not want those two nasty lovebirds getting closer…all thanks to _him_!

Thus, Albedo had to formulate his plan wisely. Unlike Nigredo, Albedo was not going to back out of this little adventure. He was not the bravest of people, but even Albedo doubted Sakura's domain was 'haunted' like she claimed. She was just a scared little girl who held on way too tightly to her hero Rubedo! All Albedo wanted to do was prove that Rubedo's macho-ness was only fooling himself and Sakura. If Albedo could have fun in the process, and even spook Rubedo, such was an added bonus. Albedo just needed Rubedo's façade to slip once!

"Oh, we're just gonna' have a little fun with them, that's all," Albedo reassured with another flashed grin for Nigredo. "If Rubedo flies off the handle, that's his fault. You and I are just gonna' give him and Sakura little spooky 'nudge.' The rest will be left up to them and their wild imaginations."

Nigredo knew what Albedo meant: a _mind game_. Lately, Albedo had become very fond of those for some odd reason. Still, it was not a bad idea. If the plan worked as Albedo figured, Rubedo and Sakura would only have themselves to blame. Of course, the question now remained; however would Albedo and Nigredo pull off this mind game? Judging by the curled sneer on Albedo's lips, the gears in his head were already weaving a plot. Albedo and Rubedo had the weirdest relationship Nigredo ever saw!

Yet, Nigredo would be lying if he said he was not intrigued by Albedo's game. "All right Albedo, I'm in," Nigredo relented. Of course, Nigredo had a feeling that, without or without his word, Albedo would force him to tag along, anyway. Running a hand through his ebony locks, the youngest boy braced himself to hear Albedo's scheme. "God knows Rubedo has this coming to him."

Albedo could not agree more. "Got' that right, Nigredo. Hehe, let's just hope Rubedo's as tough as he claims." Something was telling Albedo, his half-witted half-heart was not that much different from Albedo when it came to bravery. Albedo could not wait to prove it!

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N**: Hehe…Albedo and Nigredo mischief! Yes, this was a short chapter (*sends apologies*), but Chapter 3 will make up for it. Still, I hope you enjoyed the little Albedo/Nigredo conspiracy. Isn't it fun when younger siblings gang up against their big brother? Albedo and Nigredo are so cute when they work together, too! Hehehe. ^_^


	3. RIP Roaring

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Xenosaga_

**COMMENTS**: Well, many MANY thankies for the reviews. I feel much better about this story now. Reviews do have a way of encouraging the writing juices…and most importantly boosting writer confidence, too. So thanks for that!

Longer chapter than last time, with more fluff and spookiness ahead! There's some comical Rubedo torment in this chapter, too, just because I love teasing boys, especially when they're lovesick. Hehehe. ^_^ Enjoy!

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Fearless and Fluffy

_Aiselne Nocturnus_

**Chapter 3  
"RIP-Roaring"**

"Rubedo?" Sakura blinked, stopping her walk upon noticing Rubedo glance backwards over his shoulder. She, too, checked behind them, to see what Rubedo was staring at. Unfortunately, all Sakura found was nothing but open countryside along the old railroad the couple traversed.

Peering back at the perplexed redhead, Sakura cocked her head curiously. "Is…something wrong?" She certainly hoped Rubedo did not notice the 'presence' she discussed earlier. She and Rubedo had yet to reach the railroad stop, but that did not mean they were safe from the 'presence.' "Is…something following us?" she fretted to ask, feeling her heartbeat quicken slightly.

Raising a suspicious eyebrow towards the distance behind him, Rubedo then furrowed his brow before turning back to Sakura. "Nah, nothing like that," he reassured her, softening his face, though it still bore a level of uncertainty. He felt _something_ across the mental link, though whatever that 'something' was remained a mystery. It was a weird sort of jolt, or perhaps more accurately a _chill_. Either way, Rubedo sensed it from whence he came, specifically where he left Albedo and Nigredo at the railroad crossing gates.

He also found it odd how the said brothers were now disconnected from the mental link.

"I just get the feeling two snot-nosed little brothers of mine are up to something," Rubedo assumed, though he had no proof. Still, he knew Nigredo and Albedo well enough to know when they were acting weird, like today. "Or at least saying crap behind my back," he added, running a finger under his nose after sneezing a few too many times during his and Sakura's jaunt. Yes, there were weeds and pollen-producing plants all along the abandoned railroad, but U.R.T.V.s like Rubedo possessed no allergies. Since he was not sick, the only other explanation for his sneezing was relevant to Rubedo's troublesome brothers. No doubt, Albedo and Nigredo were up to _something_.

Sakura, on the other hand, was a bit perplexed. She knew the boys had a weird little relationship, one she wished she could share with her soon-to-be-born little sister. Still, that did not mean she fully understood the U.R.T.V.s' relationship, but perhaps it was not for her to know. Either way, Sakura felt she and Rubedo had worse troubles than Nigredo and Albedo at the moment.

…Especially when she noticed the familiar platform creep over the horizon.

Her purple shoes crushed the green grass below the overcast shadow of her white dress. Another slightly taller shadow soon stopped in front of her, while Rubedo turned around upon noticing Sakura was no longer walking. He, too, noticed the platform up ahead, appearing just as the brunette girl described. It was a risen concrete platform beside the railroad tracks, minutely accessorized with a wooden bench and overhanging canopy. The train stop looked derelict, obviously unused for as long as the adjacent railroad. Weeds surrounded the dirt-covered concrete platform, while a few snake-like vines embraced the rusty steel polls supporting the equally filthy canopy. The structure certainly was nothing impressive to look at from Rubedo's perspective.

Alas, he could tell that from _Sakura_'s perspective that the derelict was frightening. Of course, considering her spooky incident with the 'presence,' Rubedo understood why the girl refrained from moving forward. A part of him wanted to say, "Stay here. I'll go check it out." Yet, how would that solve Sakura's problem? Rubedo always told his 'fraidy cat' twin that it was important to confront one's fears. Running away was something a coward would do, and Rubedo prided himself in knowing he was no coward.

Therefore, Rubedo slowly backtracked the short distance to Sakura's side, gently extending a hand before the skittish girl. She shivered a little, and her hand briefly rose to her pounding heart, hesitant to accept Rubedo's hand. Sakura knew once her hand met his, it would be like accepting a contract that forced her to go to the scary platform. Rubedo certainly would not drag her to the place, but eventually Sakura would have to walk along the platform's cruddy concrete again. Eventually, she _would_ have to face her fear.

_But…Rubedo's here_, Sakura also understood, feeling a relieved smile pull the corners of her lips via the pleasant thought. Yes, Sakura was scared, but knowing Rubedo would probably be holding her hand through the entire affair was reassuring. He would protect her if the need arose, so in actuality, it was foolish to be afraid of _anything _when Rubedo was near.

Thus, after swallowing her fears and letting her smile shine through, Sakura delicately slipped her hand into Rubedo's, very much like one accepting a dance. Her heart fluttered when the boy's fingers wrapped around hers, lacing together and interlocking like the perfect pieces to a puzzle. The warmth from Rubedo's hand was just the encouragement Sakura needed to persevere and face her silly little phobia. _I can do this, as long as Rubedo's by my side._

Rubedo could feel her body loosen its nerves, whilst her hand melted into his and provoked another round of blush on his face. It was amazing how…_right_…it felt holding Sakura's hand, as if they had been 'meant for each other.' _Hehe, _well, maybe that was the novelistic side of him talking, subconsciously pitting him and Sakura in fantasies Rubedo used to only read about. Still, he would be lying if Rubedo said the fantasy made him 'unhappy.' Rubedo liked being with Sakura…he really liked it.

He really liked…_Sakura_.

Against everything, Rubedo would help Sakura conquer her fear, and any other problems that plagued her young mind. After all, Rubedo was the U.R.T.V. with the perfect wavelength: Sakura Mizrahi's miracle cure. Come hell or high water, Rubedo would definitely save her. He would rescue her from something as serious as her disorder, right down to irradiating the simplest fear of ghosts. Fantasies or no fantasies, Rubedo _would_ be Sakura's hero.

"Come' on, Sakura," Rubedo encouraged with a confident smile on his cherubic face. Gingerly, he pulled her hand forward, just enough to coerce the girl's feet to move alongside him. Rubedo did not want to 'force' Sakura, but he just wanted to give her that 'nudge' she needed to muster the courage and face her fear. "I know you can do this. There's nothing to be scared about, I _promise_." Naturally, the nostalgia from that 'promise' drove the two kids to blush more vibrantly and remember Rubedo's _other_ promise. Nevertheless, "I'll be right by your side the whole time, trust me."

Hearing those words was all Sakura truly needed. She already knew she could trust Rubedo, but hearing her trust reconfirmed filled the girl with the necessary courage Sakura previously lacked. Beaming brightly, Sakura nodded once, causing her brown locks to bounce via the strong, affirmative gesture. She was ready to tackle her fear and put it to rest once and for all. "All right then. Let's go."

Not needing to be told twice, Rubedo nodded before slowly leading the way towards the platform. Like Sakura, he, too, felt a sense of courage well inside of him. Frankly, Rubedo could not wait to uncover the identity of Sakura's 'presence,' and more importantly vanquish it! He was a very powerful U.R.T.V. True, Rubedo was not avid about foolhardily unleashing his 'full' power, but he had no problem with "kicking ass" (as he so eloquently put it).

Granted…he never battled a 'ghost.' The closest ghost Rubedo ever fought were those Gnosified Expressions, so Rubedo did not technically know how to fight a ghost. Then again, what were the odds that the 'presence' was a _real _ghost? Ghosts did not exist…he read so in countless books! Rubedo did know that consciousnesses occasionally lingered through the U.M.N., but they were not 'ghosts,' per se. It was more accurate to dub them 'wills,' since 'ghost' cheapened them to the horror fiction genre. Perhaps the presence Sakura felt was a will wandering through the U.M.N.'s Encephalon? Either way, Rubedo highly doubted Sakura encountered a real ghost.

Artificial sunlight beamed through a large gaping hole in the canopy, providing little shade for the two kids as they finally stepped onto the concrete platform. Various dirt and gravel ground under their heels as they shuffled across the cement, walking cautiously and surveying their surroundings. As expected, all Rubedo and Sakura found on the platform was its repugnant wooden bench littered with weeds, grime, and holes of past termites and other parasites. Rubedo was going to be very surprised if the rotten bench would be sturdy enough to support two kids' weight, so he never bothered to offer Sakura a seat. Frankly, considering how filthy the bench appeared, Sakura did not look in the 'sitting mood,' especially as she eyed her pristine, _white_ dress.

Thus, the couple remained standing on the isolated platform. Frankly, Rubedo preferred to stand, anyway, considering there was always the chance that Sakura's 'presence' would rear its ugly head. If such happened, Rubedo could not afford to waste time engaging in combat. Tightly clutching Sakura's hand with one hand, Rubedo's other hand balled into a fist. He was ready to clobber any foolish 'ghost' or 'presence' that dared pop out and frighten Sakura.

Well…come to think of it: if the presence _was _a ghost, Rubedo probably could not _physically_ 'punch' it, since ghosts were supposedly thin as air. Books claimed ghosts were _invisible_, too, but…

…Rubedo did not have time to rethink his half-assed plan before Sakura tapped the link master's shoulder blade. Perking, Rubedo promptly glanced over his shoulder, flashing another reassuring grin for the timid girl. "Don't worry, Sakura," he inspirited, unwinding his previously 'clobbering' fist so it could pat Sakura's held hand. "Just stick by me, okay?"

Her emerald eyes blinking a few times, Sakura then nodded weakly. "Um…okay, Rubedo," she replied, though not as enthusiastically as Rubedo hoped. She was probably getting scared again, meaning Rubedo would have to be extra careful with the girl.

Knowing he would _have _to be her source of strength, Rubedo turned back around, keeping his hawk-eyes focused on anything suspicious. Currently, he did not feel any presence, other than his and Sakura. According to the U.R.T.V. mental link, Rubedo and Sakura were _all alone_, which…_did_ bring some pleasantly fanciful thoughts to the young boy's mind…er…which meant there was no ghost/presence to worry about right now. Damn, it was getting warm all of a sudden.

Naturally, Rubedo jumped out of his little fantasy the second he felt another tap against his shoulder. His heart pumping briskly, the redhead only partially turned his head, enough to see Sakura through the corner of his eye without Sakura seeing his flushed face. It was a very good thing Sakura could not read the mental link, lest she discover the last thing on Rubedo's mind was ghost hunting. Screw the 'vanquish the ghost' part; Rubedo just wanted to fast-forward to the 'hero's kiss' scene! They were all alone, after all. Who the hell was Rubedo trying to kid?

"Is, something wrong, Rubedo?" he heard Sakura ask, breaking the redhead's train of thought again and noticing another baffled look on her face. Yet, it was hard _not _noticing how coyly she cocked her head whilst questioning him. Her soft brown hair gracefully flowed in an oncoming breeze, framing her face ever so perfectly. Her eyes resembled bright, shimmering emeralds. Such beautiful jewels glistened in the sun peeking through the canopy's overhead hole. Conveniently standing under the light, sunlit Sakura appeared encompassed by gold, celestial rays, while her white dress radiantly glowed. She looked like an angel who just descended from Heaven.

She was…_beautiful_.

"Rubedo?" The emeralds blinked again, the gems appearing bigger and more brilliant as they came closer and closer. Her pink lips pursed nervously, coyly, _cutely_, as they drew near, occasionally emitting a soft, sweet, tickling breath. Closer and _closer_…very warm but oh so inviting. Closer…_closer_…her rosy lips were so soft and so very, _VERY close_…

_Tap!_

"Wha-_OW_!?!" the redhead suddenly yelped, tapped right out of his fantasy with a jumping start, followed by one _incredibly embarrassing BONK_ against Sakura's forehead. A stunned shriek immediately choked out of Sakura's mouth, just as her hands tore away from Rubedo's and flew to her bruised forehead. Almost a mirror image, Rubedo's own forehead was buried in his hands, though his head was _much_ redder than Sakura's…and not _just _because of his hair or bruise.

And knowing the _reason _for the unparalleled redness on his face, Rubedo instantly cursed himself, before letting choice obscenities fly out his mouth. "You _sonuvabitch_! What the hell was that?!" Of course, the second he realized _what_ he just spat, Rubedo's face went against all laws of physics and blushed _more_ fervently when he saw Sakura's wide eyes. The redhead had a nasty habit of shooting his mouth off at everyone, _except _Sakura, whom he attempted to act a bit more 'impressively' before. Rubedo really tried to keep his mouth under control in her presence. Yet, considering what just flew out of his mouth (never mind what his mouth attempted to do _before _the cursing), Rubedo knew his self-control failed miserably.

"Uh…" Rubedo stammered, blinking rather innocently like a child caught with his pants down. Swallowing a loud gulp, the red-faced redhead nervously glanced at anything but Sakura, while absentmindedly scratching the back of his neck. He knew he had to say _something_! Else, Sakura might never speak to him again, never mind _kiss_ him again! "I'm…umm…I didn't mean to say…" Well, yes, he _did_ mean to say it, so there was no point in lying. "…That…uh…I didn't direct that at _you_, Sakura."

In a way, Sakura already knew Rubedo did not intend such foul language for her. Still, she was not used to hearing such words from her little crush, at least not to such great extents. She heard him cuss on occasion, just not _this _strongly. It was just surprising, that was all, but Sakura was not about to take it personally.

Frankly, Sakura was much more concerned with what triggered the cursing in the first place, along with why she and Rubedo bonked heads.

"It's okay, Rubedo," reassured Sakura, still continuing to rub her sore forehead. "I'm not mad, just…" she paused, before taking a step closer to the embarrassed boy, still refusing to look Sakura in the eye. Sakura had a feeling Rubedo was embarrassed for far _more_ than his swearing, too, such as what he tried to do _before _the obscenities flew. Sakura was not ashamed. She enjoyed kissing him once, so naturally she wanted to kiss Rubedo again someday, maybe on the lips this time. The two kids came pretty close to reaching first base one minute ago, until reality ended the game. "…What caused you to jump like that?"

Rather surprised at her change in topic, Rubedo blinked a few times before realizing Sakura was _not _angry. When he mustered the courage to look back at her face, all Rubedo saw across her features was concern, not the scowl or disgusted expression he anticipated. A part of him wondered if his actions deserved to be disregarded so easily.

Meanwhile, the other part of him managed to comprehend Sakura's question and revert him back to reality. His hand leaving his forehead, Rubedo placed the palm on its opposing shoulder, patting it once for emphasis. "Well, when you tapped me it kinda' surprised me-"

"'Tapped you'?" blinked Sakura, her eyes instantly falling onto Rubedo's stressed shoulder. Curiously, her green orbs then rose back to Rubedo's eye level. "I…I never tapped you, Rubedo."

It was Rubedo's turn to blink curiously, raising his eyebrows as Sakura's words replayed a few times in his memory. "Sure you did," he softly insisted with a single nod. "Just a second ago you…"

He trailed, noticing Sakura's confused face shake from side to side, her swaying hair gently slapping her cheeks in the process. However, it was Rubedo who felt like somebody slapped _him _when the realization quickly sunk in. He could tell by Sakura's face that she was telling the truth; she never tapped him. The tap during their near-kiss was exceptionally obvious, considering Sakura was right in front of him when Rubedo was tapped…from _behind_.

"No way…" the redhead skittishly muttered in disbelief, spinning around in a flash. Naturally, nothing was behind him, only the sight of the distant rural planes of the summer domain at their brightest as the sun reached noontime. The scenery was much too bright to hide anything in any darkness, so if something were behind Rubedo, he would have seen it.

Of course, provided that 'something' could be seen and was not…_invisible_.

_Oh gimmie a break! _Rubedo nearly slapped his forehead, shaking his head before turning back to Sakura. _You're letting your imagination run all over the place today_ (he was not referring to _just _the 'ghost,' either). Blushing for a multitude of reasons, Rubedo furiously shook his head again to keep his thoughts straight. _Get a grip, dammit! Do it for Sakura! Do it for her! Do it for her kiss…DO IT FOR SAKURA!!_ Jeez, it was _really_ hot out today!

"Rubedo…what's wrong?" Sakura hesitantly spoke, noticing how odd the boy had been acting. She knew her presence had a tendency to make Rubedo a bit giddier than usual. Yet, Sakura really wanted to know where he got the impression she tapped him. No doubt, Rubedo genuinely thought she tapped him, and knowing she did _not_…

_Tap!_

As if somebody threw an ice cube down the back of her neck, Sakura straightened up like a pin. Frightened goose bumps ran down the length of her stiff body. Her eyes practically doubled in size as they stared absentmindedly at Rubedo standing before her…standing a _few feet away_. He was much too far away to tap her back, meaning…

"Sakura?" Rubedo muttered, noticing how she appeared as though she saw a ghost…_urgh, bad allusion_. Shaking the disturbing thoughts from his mind, Rubedo carefully stepped closer to her, making no sudden moves as though he might frighten her away like an extinct squirrel. She looked so frightened, which easily started to alarm Rubedo. He was not 'scared,' per se, just scared for Sakura. "What is it?"

Her racing heart made it difficult for Sakura to speak. The nostalgia of this moment instantly terrified her as she felt _something_. That 'something' was hard to describe, but it was a strikingly familiar 'something' Sakura remembered experiencing the last time she visited this place.

_It_ was here. Whatever the hell 'it' was, _it_ returned to the same spot, emanating from the bench just like last time. _It _was probably watching her and Rubedo the whole time, enjoying their show from its 'front row seat.' It was watching them now, too. Sakura could sense it.

"R-Rubedo…" the scared little girl choked, swallowing her anxiety before resisting the urge to run into the red-haired boy's arms. Sakura had to be brave! She had to face whatever _it_ was, whether it was a ghost, or something…_worse_. Rubedo was her source of strength, but Sakura knew this was a problem only she could solve. Thus, she had to be brave! "_It's_…here! I can s-sense it!"

Gasping silently in shock, Rubedo then looked around in all directions, trying to locate the 'it' Sakura 'sensed.' Instinctively, he traced the mental link, using his sight and wavelength to find the culprit that dared to make Sakura's face so pale! He had every intention of taking out his frustration on whatever 'it' proved to be. If Rubedo had to physically beat 'it' to a pulp, he could and would. If needed, he could always blast it to bits with his powers, too, though Rubedo never sought that last resort until…well, until the _last resort_. Either way, _something_ was seconds away from getting the snot, crap, or whatever beaten out of it by a very protective, and very infuriated, U.R.T.V.

Unfortunately, that 'something' never showed its face. Try as he might, all Rubedo ever found was nothing but the typical surroundings of Sakura's countryside. He checked the area, he checked the mental link, and everything pointed to _nothing_.

Yet, judging by Sakura's violently shaking form, there must have been something nearby. Sakura Mizrahi would not be on the verge of tears for no damn reason.

"R-Rubedo…" the brunette choked, furiously blinking her eyes as those glistening emeralds gradually puffed with oncoming fluids. Typically, Sakura was not one to cry very easily. Granted, the girl cried the first time she met Rubedo and his brothers, but that was a very different circumstance. Rubedo understood that moment warranted tears of 'gratitude' and 'joy.' Other than that day, he never saw Sakura cry again, not even when she took an accidental tumble off her front steps while she and the Variants were racing in and out of her house. She twisted her knee and still kept a tearless smile on her face! Once, Rubedo even found an U-DO-infected U.R.T.V. pounding on her front door, attempting to break into the house and bring harm upon the defenseless girl. Sakura admitted that she was scared, of course, but she never fell apart from the experience. For her age, and considering she was a 'girl,' Sakura was very resilient and strong. Hell, half the time Rubedo's twin brother fell to pieces for no damn reason (or at least any reason Rubedo was aware of at the time)!

Then again, Albedo was a completely other story Rubedo did not have time to deal with at the moment. Right now, Rubedo needed to focus on calming Sakura, before her crystal-like tears fell. The first time he saw her cry, Rubedo did not know quite what to do, and now was no different. Only this time, seeing her cry was a bit more painful after developing such strong feelings for the girl. Seeing a stranger cry was bittersweet, but seeing a loved one cry was…painful.

"It's okay, Sakura," Rubedo gently whispered, drawing closer to her just so he could once again run his fingers across the girl's trembling cheekbone. Sakura was scared; there was no denying that fact. However, there was also no denying the fact that Rubedo would protect her. If the need arose, he would throw himself before her, take any hit, and endure any pain, all for her. Sure, he still wanted that hero's kiss, but Rubedo also wanted to keep Sakura Mizrahi safe. Her safety was what _really_ mattered. "There's nothing to be scared about."

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

Then again…

"What the hell was _that_?!" Rubedo blurted out again, spinning around in the direction of the very loud, very obvious roar that tore through the air like a knife. His back to Sakura, Rubedo protectively stood before her like a shield, bracing himself for the approaching confrontation. Ghosts never roared, or at least as far as Rubedo knew. Ghosts more commonly shrieked or yelled out the cliché "boo!" Never did Rubedo think spirits could unleash an ear-piercing, unearthly howl that even made _his_ blood curdle.

"Rubedo! What was that?!" Sakura squealed, instinctively burying her face into his back whilst throwing her arms around him. Holding on tightly, Sakura shivered as if she was encompassed by ice, while discreet whimpers muffled from her buried face. Against her will, Sakura was getting genuinely frightened, so frightened she noticed the back of Rubedo's uniform get speckled with a few of her own tears. She wanted to be brave, she wanted to stay strong, but…

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

Whatever it was, _it_was not far, though Rubedo ventured to assume the instigator of that roar was not right next to them anymore. The sound was very loud, but echoed a moderate distance away, as if the roar's owner had been watching the boy and girl from a short proximity. He did not know if the roar belonged to Sakura's 'presence,' but whatever it was, it did not sound friendly.

It did not sound _far_, either.

Yet, it did not sound _human_, too.

But it did not matter anymore. The creature could be U-DO for all Rubedo cared (though he certainly prayed it was not). The bottom line was Sakura was scared out of her wits, and Rubedo had to correct this problem. He wanted to see her smile and laugh again, not cower behind him. Yes, it was nice feeling her slender arms around him, holding him close for protection. Such filled Rubedo with a sense of fulfillment for protecting the one he loved.

However, until now, Rubedo realized that by being Sakura's 'hero,' he had to uphold a level of responsibility. The hero's kiss and "You're my hero, Rubedo" stuff were just novelties, like a frilly laced photo frame encompassing a much bigger, more pivotal picture. Novelties aside, what really mattered was _helping Sakura_, and Rubedo felt foolish for ever worrying about anything less. First and foremost, before he could ever be Sakura's 'boyfriend' or 'lover,' Rubedo was her 'guardian.' If he did a good job of being her guardian, then Rubedo might get promoted to full-time boyfriend. _Hehe._

Until then, the first issue to address was whatever the hell created that roar. Rubedo still could not sense anything across the mental link, but that did not necessarily mean he and Sakura were safe. Besides, the U.R.T.V. mental link was not a tracking device; it could not detect everything like a Realian's sensors. More or less, the link was used for the Designer Children's consciousnesses to remain joined, for both communication and survival purposes. Unless the ghost/presence/roaring thing was a U.R.T.V., the mental link would not help Rubedo very much.

Still, it was worth a shot attempting to contact Albedo and Nigredo. Perhaps they could help, but unsurprisingly, the younger Variants were still disconnected. Rubedo and Sakura were on their own. _Terrific_, Rubedo scowled. _It figures the one time I NEED those two idiots, they bail out on me!_

_To hell with Albedo and Nigredo! _Rubedo could manage fine by himself. He was the link master, the U.R.T.V. leader, after all, so Rubedo could handle anything life threw at him! Frankly, he was up to the challenge, and could feel his veins course with adrenaline. Whatever the roaring presence was, it was going to be _very _sorry for screwing with Rubedo!

"The noise sounded like it came further down the tracks," Rubedo vocally deduced, staring out at the bright rural distance where the roar sounded most prominent. Not doubt, the owner of that sound was close, perhaps a short distance away from the platform. Rubedo could hardly wait to find that damned thing and give it a proper 'what-for.'

"I'm gonna' go check it out, Sakura," the red-haired boy softly declared, placing a hand on one of Sakura's still-shaking arms. He originally did not want to leave her behind. However, considering how terrified she felt, Rubedo was not going to force Sakura to tag along anymore. He wanted Sakura to face her fear, but considering how dangerous that roar sounded, Rubedo did not want to put her in danger, either. God only knew what the hell was really waiting for them further down the railroad. "You can go back and wait with Albedo and Nigredo if you want, Sakura."

Sakura tightened her hold on Rubedo for a moment, as if afraid to let him go after that thing. She appreciated his concern over her, but was Rubedo blind to the fact that Sakura did not want anything to happen to _him_?! Sakura did not wish ill upon any of the Variant boys, especially the boy she came to love. And what would Sakura do if she let Rubedo go off by himself…and something terrible happened to him?! How could she possibly explain such to his brothers?! Poor Nigredo, and poor _Albedo_! Even Sakura knew Rubedo's twin would go hysterical if anything happened to his precious other half. Rubedo meant so much to too many people for Sakura to let anything happen to him.

"I'm going with you," the dark-haired brunette suddenly voiced, never giving Rubedo time to reply before Sakura unlaced her arms from him. Standing up straight, the girl swallowed her tears and mustered her own courage, bravery she acquired from deep inside herself, not Rubedo. The boy was a wonderful pillar of strength, but Sakura knew she could not rely on him forever, even if Rubedo offered such. For the vast majority of her life, Sakura Mizrahi had to depend on everyone due to her illness. But now, she had a choice to stand up on her own two feet, without any crutch, and prove to herself that she still possessed her own will.

Granted, Rubedo was surprised that Sakura still wished to tag along, but judging by the determination he saw in her green eyes, Rubedo knew Sakura made up her mind. The boy could not help but smile proudly at her, knowing Sakura was indeed one of the most resilient girls he ever met. The brunette was strong enough to battle a terminal illness, all the while keeping her chin up and remaining optimistic. Now, Sakura was setting aside her fears to face a phobia. Although 'facing fears' was less honorable than fighting an illness, Rubedo still commended Sakura's strength.

As if both were thinking identically, the boy and girl's hands once again slipped back into each other, lacing tightly and reassuringly. Silently exchanging inspirited smiles, Rubedo then lead Sakura down the platform, landing back on the grass by the old railroad tracks. From there, they each then took a breath, released it, and then made their way further down the line.

- - - - -

"Now where are they off to?" Albedo frowned suspiciously, noticing a particular dot of red hair and his white-skirted companion walking further into the distance. Just as Albedo and Nigredo finally reached the platform, Rubedo and Sakura were long gone, disappearing further down the railroad tracks.

"Am I crazy, or didn't Sakura say that 'presence' of hers lingered at the platform stop?" Albedo double-checked. "Are they _blind_ to this shabby thing?" he asked rather incredulously, waving his arms once for effect whilst pointing at the horrendous state of the platform. The train stop was much too derelict to miss in Sakura's otherwise happy-peppy-perfect imaginary world!

Nigredo was equally perplexed, though he doubted Rubedo and Sakura simply _missed _the platform. Sure, the couple was probably lost in their own little world. Then again, Nigredo figured Rubedo and Sakura would have noticed the platform, since it stuck out like a sore thumb as Albedo noted.

"I don't know," shrugged Nigredo, attempting to keep his eyes on Rubedo and Sakura as their images got smaller and smaller in the far distance. "But we'd better catch up before we lose them again."

The youngest brother was right. Albedo certainly could not pull-off his infamous scheme if Rubedo kept wandering off. The white-haired boy had no clue where Rubedo and his playmate were going, but Albedo was not about to leave those two alone for any longer than necessary. God only knew what Rubedo and Sakura were up to when they were _all alone_…

…Albedo preferred not know, but such did not mean he was going to let that little princess have her way with Rubedo! Albedo was not ignorant to his twin's hormonal feelings for Sakura. The white-haired brother would be damned if he allowed Rubedo's kissy-kissy fantasies to come true!

"Come' on, Nigredo," Albedo encouraged as he waved his hand forward to coerce the baby Variant to follow. The middle child was not used to playing 'leader,' since that was Rubedo's job. Yet, it was a position Albedo was gradually getting used to that afternoon. "They're heading further down the tracks near the forest. We'll cut through the woods and get ahead of them."

It was a sound plan, but Nigredo wondered if he and Albedo could run fast enough to cut-off Rubedo and Sakura. U.R.T.V.s were built and trained to be in top physical shape, but after so long they tuckered out just like normal kids. The last thing Nigredo needed was an exhausted Albedo collapsing in the woods, or them getting lost due to fatigue. Albedo seemed to forget the woods were crawling with Gnosis, too.

"_Come' on_!" Albedo hissed, snapping Nigredo out of his thought via an impatient tug on the youngest boy's sleeve. "Move it or we'll never catch up to them!"

"Um…maybe we should go back," Nigredo suggested, much to Albedo's surprise. Nigredo was not 'scared' or 'chickening out.' However, the raven-haired kid was starting to doubt he and Albedo could accomplish their silly little scheme of spooking Rubedo and Sakura. Nigredo had a sinking suspicion their prank would backfire, and the baby Variant's hunches were usually accurate.

"Oh no you don't!" snarled Albedo, shaking his head angrily before latching onto Nigredo's arm and tugging it forcefully, causing the younger boy to stumble a step. "You're not backing out now, Nigredo! You're coming with me, even if I have to drag you through the damn forest, _got it_?"

Nigredo so nearly raised an eyebrow to his older brother's boast, before…

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

…And just as Albedo promised, a second later Nigredo _was_ being dragged through the forest behind his fleeing, screaming older brother.

**To Be Continued**

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**A/N**: Hehe, so Albedo and Nigredo were_ not _behind Rubedo and Sakura's little spook, but who/what is? What will the quartet find further down the railroad? Wait and see.

One other note: I certainly hope Rubedo's little "segments" weren't OOC. Let's face it; he's a boy in love and roughly twelve years old, and hormones start kicking in around this time, so viola. He and Sakura already kissed before. Well, more accurately…Sakura kissed _him_ before, and don't you think hotshot Rubedo's gonna' want to try his luck kissing _her_ back? I always thought he would in the canon…ya' know, if he _could_. (Oh, and don't worry…nothing "adult" is gonna' happen while Rubedo and Sakura are "all alone" in this story. Plus, I think it's pretty obvious based on this chapter that any chance Rubedo gets at romance is gonna' crash and burn before it gets off the ground anyway. Hehe, the "bonked heads" scene was fun!).

After this chapter, there are only 2 more episodes left before this fic's completion (I'm hoping to complete it around Halloween *crosses fingers*). Anyway, more mischief is ahead next week. Feel free to review until then, and many thanks again for the reviews!


	4. No Need to Tremble Like That

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Xenosaga_

**COMMENTS**: Okay, cookies and gold stars go to readers who remember the infamous XS quote from which this chapter's title is derived (hehehe, I _love_ that scene! It's one of my all-time favorites!). Anyway, more cuteness is ahead! Like I said before, it's anyone's guess where the railroad in Sakura's domain leads, so here's my little comical interpretation.

Long chapter, I know, but I do think it's super-cute. Hopefully everyone will agree. ^_~

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Fearless and Fluffy

_Aiselne Nocturnus_

**Chapter 4  
"No Need to Tremble Like That"**

He must be out of his mind. Yes, that was the only logical reason Nigredo could concoct for why in U-DO's name the ebony-haired Variant agreed to participate in Albedo's ridiculous "let's scare Rubedo" scheme. The brothers' so-called ingenious scheme (if Albedo did say so himself) had not even been executed yet, and already matters seemed to go to hell. Come to think of it, what _were _Albedo's self-proclaimed brilliant plans, anyway? He still had yet to tell Nigredo. _Urgh_. Not only did this misadventure have "death penalty" written all over it, but it also had "half-assed" written all over it! A little voice inside Nigredo had a sinking suspicion Albedo never had any "plans" regarding Rubedo…other than following the older twin to be nosy as ever. Then again, the youngest brother supposed he only had himself to blame for tagging along. Nigredo should have known better than to get involved in the twins' idiotic issues.

And the pièce de résistance of the whole matter was…now Nigredo and Albedo were stuck in the massive, labyrinthian forest of Sakura's subconscious domain…and _completely, utterly lost_! Terrific.

_From now on_… Nigredo swore, narrowing his jade eyes in frustration, whilst peering through the thick, winding woods. _…No matter what happens between Rubedo and Albedo…I AM STAYING OUT OF IT! _The littlest brother washed his hands of the twins' business, something Nigredo believed he should have done years ago! However, first things first: he and Albedo still had to find a way out of this stupid forest. They had already spent a considerable hour aimlessly attempting to find their way back to the gas station. No exits appeared in sight; just trees, trees, and more damn trees. How was it possible for a scheme to backfire before it was even carried out?

The mid-afternoon sunlight dimmed under the overhead canopy of viridian trees. Occasional rays of light peeked through gaps in the leaves and branches, but in general, the forest was much darker and cooler than the rest of Sakura's sunlit domain. Large shadows moved in coordination with the towering tree branches blowing in the wind. Even Nigredo understood the sources of the shadows; certainly nothing to worry about, but a tad spooky, nonetheless. The fact that Gnosis roamed this forest also kept the black-haired Variant on alert, in the event one of those shadows turned out to be more than a mere 'shadow.' Nigredo was not scared, per se, but he could not help but wonder what that roaring 'thing' was which drove him and Albedo into the forest in the first place. _It sounded familiar…_

"Where _are _we, Nigredo?!"

Speaking of Albedo…

"I could ask you the same question," the Nigredo noted matter-of-factly, glancing down away from the trees to where his middle brother crouched on his feet, resting his hands atop bent knees. The white-haired Variant practically ran himself into exhaustion after fleeing like a lunatic through the woods. Of course, Nigredo doubted the 'only' reason Albedo was curled up into a ball was out of tiredness, either. Albedo and Nigredo were indeed lost, after all.

If only they could find the stream, the boys could then follow it towards Sakura's house. Granted, the U.R.T.V.s had trained in these woods several times, but each time they used the winding pathway to reach Sakura's house or the beach's checkpoint. Unfortunately, Nigredo's screaming idiot of a brother never took the pathway, and God only knew where the path was now. Nigredo would have used the mental link to at least track-down Rubedo, since wherever Rubedo was meant there would also be an exit. Unfortunately, Nigredo had already attempted to link, and Albedo was still dead-set against reconnection, all for the sake of this foolish game he wanted to play with Rubedo. "You're the one who dragged me in here," the younger brother added, his arm still sore after getting almost dislocated via Albedo's frantic yanks. "You should've known where you were going, Albedo."

Narrowing his violet eyes and hissing back a few choice words, Albedo decided to ignore the baby Variant's lecture. Okay, so Albedo's brilliant scheme was not working quite as swimmingly as he had hoped. Now, Albedo and Nigredo lost track of Rubedo and his prissy playmate. To make matters worse, Albedo and Nigredo were also lost in the damn forest, with all its eerie shadows…rustling trees…scratching branches…ominous winds…scratching…lots of scratching…grinding sand…scratching…what the hell was making that noise?!

Whitened vibrating fingers dug into Albedo's knees as frightened chills persistently ran down the length of the boy's spine. Rubedo always classified his younger twin a scardy cat, but Albedo never cared. Then again, all those times he "never cared," Albedo usually had his teasing older brother nearby, too. The absolute _worst _part about this whole ordeal, worse than getting lost and hearing those creepy, creepy sounds, was Albedo did not have Rubedo to grab onto. Albedo's other half was not here to comfort him, to hold him, and to say "don't be scared, Albedo. I'll protect you."

_Rubedo…_

Hell, at this rate, Albedo would settle for Rubedo's melodious ranting and teases, as long as it meant Rubedo would _be beside Albedo_. Sadly, right now, Rubedo was not beside Albedo.

Rubedo was beside _Sakura_.

Remembering that frilly-skirted temptress boiled Albedo's blood right back to reality. Oh no! Albedo might be scared, but he sure as hell was not going to hide and let Sakura win Rubedo's comfort and attention. Knowing that cherry-scented princess, she was probably scared and grappling onto Rubedo. And knowing her hormones-raging hero, Rubedo would probably love nothing better than to seize the golden opportunity to tell Sakura exactly how he felt.

"_Don't be scared, Sakura. I'll protect you."_

No!

"_I'll ALWAYS protect you."_

Those sweet words were _not_meant for Sakura!

"_Sakura, you mean so much to me."_

No! _No_! _No_!

"_Sakura, I lo-"_

_NOOOOO!!_

On his feet in less than a second, Albedo's fuming revitalized him with newfound adrenaline to find his way out of this forest. More specifically, Albedo was hell-bent on finding Rubedo, and getting that brunette brat away from him! So what if the forest was spooky? So what if Sakura's entire subconscious domain was haunted? Albedo suddenly realized there were other things in life that were far scarier than ghosts! Ghosts' scariness paled in comparison to losing Rubedo, particularly losing Rubedo to Sakura Mizrahi. If that harridan wanted Rubedo, let her try, but she better be ready for some competition. After all, Sakura may be pretty and seductive, but she still was not the one with the inherent, natural-born, physical and mental claim to Rubedo.

Realizing how many "claims" Albedo had to Rubedo did admittedly fill the younger twin with a reassuring satisfaction. With so many bonds to Rubedo, what did Albedo have to fear? And yet, no matter how many ways he was tied to Rubedo, the redhead _still _seemed more interested in Sakura. Albedo never seemed to be enough…

…_No_! Thinking so fatalistically would drown Albedo in sorrow and provide Sakura with an opportunity to make her move. Albedo wasted enough time whimpering in the creepy forest. _Be brave, be strong_, and if Albedo worked hard enough, the rewards might be plentiful. Rubedo's warm arms, reserved only for his twin…

"_I'm here, Albedo."_

Yes…

"_I'll ALWAYS protect you."_

Those sweet, sweet words…all for Albedo.

"_Albedo, you mean so much to me."_

Yes! _Yes_! _Yes_!!!

"_Albedo, I lo-"_

_YESSSSS!!!!!_

That was certainly a goal worth running towards, and that was exactly what Albedo did. He ran, pumping adrenaline into his legs and high-tailing it as fast as possible through the scary woods. Let the ghosts or goblins or whatever try to stop him, because they would not get very far. Albedo was just as stubborn as Rubedo, and when he wanted something, come hell, high water, or U-DO itself, Albedo _would get it_!

There was only one small glitch in this admirable display of devotion.

Albedo forgot Nigredo.

Once again, the twins were so consumed by each other that their youngest brother was completely forgotten. Jade eyes narrowing, Nigredo ran a hand through his ebony hair before releasing an exasperated sigh. What a day this had been, and it was not even over yet! Then again, perhaps there were perks to being left behind, just this once. It meant Nigredo would not have to subject himself to anymore of his brothers' idiocy. He still had to find his way out of the forest, though, but wandering in a forest seemed the lesser of two evils right now.

Rolling his eyes, Nigredo threw up his hands in defeat. _I give up._

- - - - -

"I…can't believe it…" Sakura gasped, wide-eyed and mouth agape as she and Rubedo found themselves standing before a massive locomotive. The couple's jaunt further down the rail line led them to discover the derelict train, several miles away from the gas station whence the kids came. The sun was lowering in the sky: still daylight but clearly mid-afternoon once Sakura and Rubedo finally found the train.

Sakura simply could not believe it. There was indeed a train after all!

Naturally fascinated by relics, Rubedo was automatically captivated by the sight of the old train. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before in his life (though considering most of his life was spent in the Yuriev Institute, that did not say very much). Nevertheless, the train was a brilliant piece of vintage engineering. This train was clearly designed in the Lost Jerusalem era. Though the transport was metallic, it lacked the streamlined modifications present-day shuttles possessed. The train's design was still beautiful to behold, a towered over the children by at least a story and a half. Rubedo ventured to wonder if this train had two levels, which he read was not uncommon for fancy passenger trains on Lost Jerusalem.

No doubt, this train was clearly meant for passengers, not a freight train for transporting goods. Windows sported curtains for privacy. The design was eloquent, not utilitarian, and embodied a sense of comfort and prestige, which must have been quite luxurious for passengers during the train's high-days. Plus the fact, the train was remarkably long, so long that neither Rubedo nor Sakura could tell where it ended. There were so many cars attached to the locomotive; at least ten, though most likely more. Rubedo assumed the train's overall length had to be close to a mile, though there was no way to be certain from his angle. Still, in the eyes of a U.R.T.V. like Rubedo who lived a somewhat "sheltered" life in the institute, this train was a marvel.

Yet…something was not right. As lovely as the train looked, it was as derelict as the platform Rubedo and Sakura previously visited. The train's eloquent exterior was tainted in maroon rust and age-old dirt. It was impossible to differentiate the original paint that colored the train. Several of the windows were broken, and their inside curtains fluttered in and out of broken glass in between gusts of gentle wind. Many of the curtains looked frayed and torn, too, browned by the tests of time. Various vines and creeping foliage also laced around the train's old wheels, binding them to the tracks like viridian chains. More than likely, the current train before Rubedo and Sakura's eyes was a shadow of its former glory.

The train was abandoned. There was not even a platform or station nearby for the train to properly reside. The entire mechanical beast was left out in the middle of nowhere, left to rot. As unnerving as the train seemed, Rubedo did feel a tad sorry for it. Perhaps it was because he greatly respected Lost Jerusalem relics. Or, perhaps it was because this train was an ideal example of what happens when things get left behind…

_…No_. Rubedo did not want to spoil this afternoon.

Blinking away the unwanted thoughts, Rubedo turned his attention back to Sakura. The brunette girl continued to stare up at the locomotive, locking her emerald eyes with the machinery and silently marveling. This clearly must have been the first time Sakura actually saw the mysterious train, else Sakura was a damn good actress for looking so incredibly stunned. Rubedo could only hope that this moment would bring the girl some closure regarding her spooky train-related spook from years ago. At least there _was_ a train.

Of course, it was still anyone's guess regarding the identity of that presence…and that roar…

…There was one way to find out.

"Rubedo, where are you going?"

Halting again at the sound of Sakura's sweet inquiry, the red-haired boy took his attention away from the train, back to the brunette. Rubedo had a sinking suspicion that Sakura would not be pleased with the boy's decision, but…this _was _the reason why the couple ventured way out here in the first place. "I'm gonna' go check inside," he replied, not at all surprised to see Sakura's face pale minutely. "The train's a wreck, but aside a few broken windows and creaky floors, I can't picture it being dangerous, Sakura." Still, Rubedo was not going to force her to tag along if she got cold feet. "But I'll understand if you want to wait out here. I won't be long."

Sakura was certainly not about to back-out on this adventure, especially since she came so far. It was stupid to quit at this point, and Sakura knew as long as Rubedo was beside her, there was nothing to fear. _"You don't have to be scared when I'm around."_ The young girl needed to keep reminding herself about Rubedo's promises.

"I already said I was coming with you, Rubedo," reminded Sakura, before quickly stepping beside the boy and nodding affirmatively. Truthfully, she did feel safe near Rubedo, and the confidence just seemed to materialize within his presence. Rubedo had that effect on Sakura, one of many effects. "Besides," she smiled cutely, giggling softly while playfully nudging Rubedo's arm. "It's not fair for you to keep promises while I break them, is it?"

Anytime her 'promise' crept into his mind, it was virtually impossible for Rubedo not to blush and feel butterflies in his stomach. But knowing now was a bad time to drift back into fantasyland, the redhead kept himself focused and led Sakura closer to the train.

There was little point in inspecting the dead locomotive's engine room, so Rubedo headed to the nearest door of a passenger cart. Horizontal metal steps led to the door, and soundly creaked the second Rubedo's boot applied pressure. He almost feared the rusty metal step would break underneath his weight, but the small boy certainly could not reach the door handle any other way. Fortunately, there was a handrail bolted against the side of the doorframe, probably used to help passengers climb into the train. The rail felt secure, and the boy balanced his weight pressure against the rail and steps, praying neither the rail or step would break. His other hand then seized the rusty door handle, yanking it…feeling resistance, until it dawned on Rubedo that the door slid to one side, not forwards or backwards. He fiddled with the handle, hearing rusty hinges and locks effortlessly crumble inside. The locking mechanisms of Lost Jerusalem certainly were not as solidly built as those of Rubedo's time. After a moment, the rusted lock released, and a grunting Rubedo manually slid door sideways against its filthy, squeaky tracks. Dirt and rust easily rained down upon the boy's head as the door opened, prompting Rubedo to jump back off the steps and comb the filth out of his locks. A few dust particles caused him to sneeze as well.

Sakura brought a hand to her lips, muffling a giggle whilst noticing how cute Rubedo looked at that moment. One hand was up in his hair, and the other hand down under his nose. Thus, Rubedo had no available hand to cover the sheepish blush that found its way back to his cheeks. Honestly, Sakura felt her own stomach fill with butterflies whenever she saw that adorably impish look on Rubedo's cherubic face. The feelings instilled within her were all Sakura needed to feel so much better about this spooky adventure, which was no longer scary thanks to Rubedo's support. Sakura really owed so much to Rubedo, did she not?

"Let's go, Rubedo!" the girl chirped confidently, surprising Rubedo as she trotted to the opened train door. But before boarding, the girl spun around once to Rubedo, swishing her long white skirt and short brown hair in the process. Expectantly, Sakura waited by the door, giving Rubedo a coquettish expression. "Well?" she asked teasingly. "I believe my mom once said it's customary for gentlemen to escort ladies onto a train."

Rubedo already knew that, though he was a little skeptic regarding those rusty old steps. Sakura certainly was not a heavy girl. Still, it would have been pretty stupid, and undoubtedly _embarrassing_, if Rubedo escorted Sakura onto steps that broke! Plus, she might get hurt in the process, which was something the redhead never wanted.

"_Well_?"

Then again, Sakura did not look or sound worried, so why should Rubedo be worried? At least the girl's confidence revived, and Rubedo did not want to do anything that might send Sakura back into her shell. So, forgetting the worries, Rubedo finally nodded and reached Sakura, standing before the train's door. That damned blush tinted his cheeks again, his lips curled into a grin, and Rubedo found himself playing along with Sakura's game. Following suit, the red-haired little "gentleman" respectfully bowed before his "lady," while she curtsied with her white dress. It was difficult to maintain the act amidst their giggle-trembling bodies, but one could not deny that the kids were having fun. To be on the safe side, Rubedo ascended the rickety stairs first, just to make sure no accidents might befall Sakura. When the coast was safe and clear, he then offered his hand to the girl, helping her climb inside the old train. The train might not have been Cinderella's beautiful carriage, but right now, beside her prince, Sakura felt like a princess.

The blushy, giddy young couple was so consumed by each other that neither heard a deep, feral growl from behind. As Rubedo and Sakura disappeared inside the old train, the growl deepened to blood-curdling snarls. Frail twigs snapped, bushes rustled violently, and grass crunched underneath heavy stomps. Teeth ground, eyes narrowed into dagger-like slits, and blood pumped like a beaten war drum. The very essence emitted a sense of _massacre_.

Painfully yanking a twig out of his scruffy white hair, the irate Albedo stomped out of his bush, silently sauntering towards the hideous train.

- - - - -

"Wow! Sakura! Look at this place!" marveled Rubedo, gushing like the kid he was over the gorgeous interior of the train. Granted, everything was covered in age-old dirt, mold, and cobwebs, and the cart was not the most pleasant-smelling of locales. Nevertheless, Rubedo's blue eyes were wide with awe as the glowing boy absorbed this rare opportunity to experience such a fascinating Lost Jerusalem relic. He almost wished his brothers did tag along to see this ("almost" being the key word). "This is so cool!"

Unsurprised by Rubedo's reaction, Sakura just giggled and smiled at his boyish interest. Still, the train was indeed quite lovely in spite of its decrepit condition. Every inch of the floor was carpeted, though it was impossible to distinguish the carpet's colors and patterns from the filth. The traffic aisle was lined by several rows of cushioned maroon seats, each with an overhead light. One side of the aisle was even designed to have a few restaurant-like tables and chairs, all fastened to the floor for transportation purposes. There were even elegant chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, all with countless crystals that minutely gleamed in the windows' sunlight. The light fixtures were understandably not working, but still quite lovely to behold. If Rubedo was mind-boggled by this train's prestige, Sakura could just imagine what a Lost Jerusalem passenger might have thought when this train was in its full glory.

"Ha! I _knew _it must've had a second level! Sakura! Come here and check this out!"

Rubedo was practically bouncing around the train, so much Sakura noticed a few of the chandelier's crystals softly jingled. This old train was obviously not in the best of shape for a boy to be acting as though he was on a jungle gym. For all the kids knew, this train was a rusted deathtrap…_um, don't think like that_. To be safer, Sakura traversed the train a bit more cautiously to where the energetic redhead stood at a…_banister_? There were stairs on this train, all carpeted and leading upward to presumably a second floor. Well, that explained why the train was so tall. Sakura wondered how much a ticket for this train cost in the old days. Clearly, only wealthy people could have afforded to ride an impressive train such as this one. But what was upstairs, anyway? Cabins?

Knowing the only way to find out, Rubedo carefully stepped onto the creaky stairs, mindful of their age. A natural-born leader, Rubedo always figured it best if he went first in any potentially dangerous situation. Dust and dirt particles coating the stair rail stuck to his fingers as he gripped the rail for stability and carefully ascended the small staircase. The stairs whined, but none of them broke, allowing the redhead to reach the second floor without incident. It was darker up there, but sunlight was still available through the broken windows. But before more investigations could be made, Rubedo had to get Sakura upstairs…

…_Upstairs…_

Yes, he blushed…_fervently_…and Rubedo felt totally dirty for the way his hormones-induced mindset warped getting Sakura 'upstairs.' _Wanna' go upstairs with me, Sakura?_ No! No! _No_! He did not mean it like _that_! Every time Rubedo's brothers asked, or egged, about him and Sakura, the stubborn link master notoriously claimed "it's not like that!" Rubedo did not think about Sakura like that…did he?! Of course not! Yes, Rubedo wanted his proverbial kiss, but…nothing _more_, right? Yes, he was a boy reaching adolescence, and yes, 'urges' came with the puberty package, but…_STOP THINKING THAT WAY, YOU FREAKIN' PERV!_ Rubedo absolutely refused to think about Sakura Mizrahi that way! She was too precious and too perfect for the likes of him to defile. Yet, here Rubedo was, thinking naughty little thoughts about…jeez, now was not the time for Rubedo's wild imagination to run loose again! And why in God's name was it so warm today?!

"Rubedo? Are you up there?"

Realizing he better damn-well pull himself together (and pull himself out of the gutter while he was at it), Rubedo cursed himself before returning his attention back to Sakura left downstairs. It would have been a lie for Rubedo to claim there were no ulterior motives behind his and Sakura's train adventure. He still wanted that illustrious kiss, wrapped in a hug alongside the glorious declaration of Rubedo being dubbed Sakura's "hero." As far as anything 'else' was concerned…_let's take it one step at a time, dammit! _Clamping his eyes shut to block the unwanted thoughts, the boy shook his head once before walking back to the stairs. The floors soundly creaked up here, more so than downstairs. Rubedo would have to watch his step.

…_Crunch!_

Sapphire eyes flew open and a foot stumbled back when Rubedo noticed he blindly stepped on a shard of broken glass. His uniform's boots were too thick for simple glass to cut, but a pin drop would have been startling within the train's dead silence. The glass crunched under his foot, leaving behind tiny, glistening, pebble-like fragments. It was only then that Rubedo noticed glass was everywhere, more noticeably upstairs than downstairs. He also knew Sakura's casual shoes were not as solidly crafted as a U.R.T.V.'s combat boots. The last thing Rubedo wanted was for a piece of razor-sharp glass to pierce Sakura's foot. _We'll have to be careful…_

_Crunch…crunch…crunch…_

Odd, Rubedo never noticed the noise when he first came upstairs, but maybe that was because his mind was…elsewhere.

_Crunch…CRUNCH…CRUNCH…_

Odd…the noise was getting louder.

_CRUNCH…CRUNCH…CRUNCH…CRUNCH…_

Odd…Rubedo was not even _moving_!

For once in his life, Rubedo was grateful to possess a genetically advanced body, enabling him to spin around in quite literally the blink of an eye. His own eyes blinked a few times in unprecedented shock upon realizing nothing was behind him, nor before him. _What the hell? _Rubedo's mind had been wandering all over the place today, but he highly doubted he imagined that noise. It sounded like glass crunching under the weight of…something…something that was trying to approach Rubedo from behind…

_Oh get a grip! _Rubedo almost slapped his forehead. What kind of a leader jumped to crazy assumptions such as that? There was nothing on this train except grime and weeds. And even if there were something trying to sneak up behind him, Rubedo would have _seen _it! The afternoon sun was still bright enough to prevent an inordinate amount of concealing shadows. The upstairs floor of the train was dimmer than below, but Rubedo could still see in front of himself. All he found were doors that probably led to passenger cabins. Nothing else was there.

Unless…something was inside one of the nearby cabins…hiding…watching…

_Listen to yourself! _Rubedo practically screamed to himself. _This is ridiculous! There's nothing on this train to worry about except creaky floors. How the hell do you expect to help Sakura overcome her fear if you think this way? How the hell do you expect to lead a MISSION if you think this way?! YOU'RE the link master, dammit! Act like it!_

"Rubedo? Where are you?!"

The redhead was seconds away from calling back to Sakura, when…

_Crunch._

_What the hell IS that?! _It was driving Rubedo crazy, along with pissing him off. Whatever the hell kept taunting him like this was destined for a rude awakening once Rubedo identified the perpetrator. He never saw anything, but Rubedo certainly heard something nearby, and he was tired of playing games. Cabins were nearby…the crunches seemed to come from one of them…

"Come' on! Come out and face me!" taunted the redhead, rolling up a sleeve and then balling his fists in preparation for a fight. At the farthest end of the corridor was an ajar door, accompanied by more echoing _crunch…crunch…crunches_. Traversing cautiously, the link master moved away from the stairs towards the grime-covered door. Slowly at first, Rubedo then broke into a sprint down the hallway to the mystery door. One consolation was at least the door was a considerable distance away from the staircase, and if Rubedo engaged in battle, Sakura would be downstairs, far out of the way, and safe.

So Rubedo thought, anyway.

Right now, Rubedo had to set his sights on eliminating whatever it was that kept haunting him and Sakura today. A gut feeling kept telling him that whatever was at the end of this hallway would provide answers. His boots hammering against the rickety floors, the adrenaline-filled redhead grinned arrogantly as he reached the ajar door; ready, willing, and able to kick that 'presence's' ass once and for all!

If only Rubedo watched out for that last step…

_CRACK._

…The boy never had time to blink, scream, or regret his recklessness. A particularly rotten floorboard released under his running boots, and immediately sent Rubedo plummeting downward with the splintered wood.

- - - - -

"_Rubedo_!!" Sakura softly cried, gripping the dirty stair rail and continuously calling up to him. The brunette could have sworn she heard some loud noise from upstairs, and Rubedo never replied to her calls. She highly doubted Rubedo was purposely ignoring her just to frighten Sakura, so the next possibility was something happened to him…_No_! Sakura refused to let her fears retake control of her mind. Rubedo was a strong boy, and a U.R.T.V., too. Sakura just had to take a deep, deep breath, calm down, and wait for Rubedo to return. Rubedo was probably just…checking around upstairs. Yeah. He probably wanted to make sure everything was safe before Sakura arrived. Yes. Rubedo was always so sweet and looking out for Sakura's safety. There was nothing to worry about.

_Crunch…_

Sakura could not help it; she yelped in surprise, spinning around like a ballerina upon hearing crunched glass from behind her. But just like her red-haired companion upstairs, Sakura saw nothing, minus the train's already-present seats and furnishings. Nothing else. Did she just unintentionally step on a piece of glass? Sakura was unsure, so she glanced downward to her purple shoes…

"_Saaaaa…kuuuu…raaaaa…."_

The girl's emerald eyes snapped in horror when her ears noticed Sakura's name. First instincts guessed the one who called out to her was Rubedo, but… _"Saaaaaaaa…kuuuuuuuu…raaaaaaaa…." _Why would Rubedo call out to her in such a low, spooky, craggily voice? The voice did not even sound like Rubedo's! The voice was not even coming from upstairs, either; it was definitely on Sakura's level…_nearby_. Besides, the voice was genuinely scaring Sakura, and she knew that was something Rubedo would never do to her.

The brunette's teeth chattered inside her whimpering mouth, lips quivered, cheeks paled, eyes widened, and sweat trickled. So many trembling bodily responses, and yet Sakura found herself too petrified to move, or scream. The temperature dropped below zero, chilling Sakura to her core. Her eyes remained glued on her feet, not willing to see whatever was spookily moaning her name.

"_Saaaaaaaaaaaa…kuuuuuuuuuuu…raaaaaaaaaaa…."_

But if Rubedo was not the owner of that voice, who…or what…_was_?

"Leave…leave me alone…g-go away!" Sakura squeaked, failing her attempts at sounding and being brave. Amidst the heart pounding in her chest, deafening to her eardrums, Sakura panicked. She was all alone, Rubedo was elsewhere, and there was…_something_…calling to her. _"Saaaaa…kuuuu…raaaaa…."_ Haggard, gasping moans, all directed at the frightened little girl protectively wrapping arms around her vibrating frame.

_Rubedo?! Where are you?! _Tear-brimmed green eyes clamped shut. Sakura had to be brave! She had to! This was the very reason she and Rubedo ventured to find the train, was it not? _Face your fears!_ Rubedo would be so proud of Sakura. _Be brave!_

Yes, Sakura would be brave! She would follow Rubedo's leadership examples and face this ghost, monster, or whatever it may be. Digging deeply within the recesses of her will, Sakura collected the courage she needed. Her head snapped upwards, away from her feet, with glossy emerald eyes flashing open to come face-to-face with…

…Something rising upward, slowly from behind one of the maroon seats nearest the door. Up and up, only one-inch of the moaner's head could be seen: impossible to identify, except for one keen distinction.

…It was _white_…just like Sakura's face.

Ghosts are white.

Ghosts rise and moan, too.

"_Saaaaaaaa…kuuuuuuuu…raaaaaaaa…."_

_Oh my God!_

In what felt like the blink of an eye, the terrified girl bolted up the rickety staircase, poorly stifling whimpering shrieks. Sakura almost tripped on her dress during her hasty retreat, and she heard the stairs whine adamantly, but never break. For all Sakura cared, the ground could fall apart beneath her, and she would still keep running. Her heart felt like it might explode, and tears occasionally trickled from her eyes. She could not recall being this scared before in her life! Everything felt like a twisted fairytale: _run! Run! Faster, before the monster eats you! Before the ghost gets you! _Her father used to tell his daughter such creepy bedtime stories, and they always drove Sakura into Joachim or Juli's protective arms.

She needed arms to protect her. Sakura needed…_Rubedo._

- - - - -

Meanwhile, back on the train's first level…

Ghastly moans immediately morphed into snorted giggles, before the white-haired little culprit doubled over in his seat with hysterics. He had to be mindful of not letting his laughs get loud enough to draw attention, but at this point, Albedo did not care. That look on Sakura's wide-eyed, agape, pale face was _priceless_!

_Hahaha!! That was great! GREAT! _The troublemaker slapped his knee, for the first time all day feeling like a million bucks. Oh yes, scaring Sakura was a definitive victory for Albedo! _Jeez, I've never seen someone move so fast before in my life! Ha! Rubedo better never call ME a fraidy cat again, because Sakura's definitely worse! Hahahahaha!!! Run, run, Sakura, just like the scared little girl you are! Run, run, princess, right to your prince…_

Oh crap.

_Waitaminute_. This was the very scenario Albedo did not want to happen, remember? His illustrious scheme just accidentally provided the perfect chance for Sakura to run to Rubedo, and potentially pull more of her girly seductions. The middle Variant's celebratory giggle fit ceased instantaneously, before snapping back to reality. Jumping off his seat, Albedo turned towards the stairs Sakura just bolted up. _Damn…she's upstairs…with Rubedo…_

And just like his other half, Albedo's face flashed red upon realizing how _wrong _it sounded to have Rubedo and Sakura upstairs…together…_alone_…! Bad, _bad_ mental images! _Oh no you don't! _The red-faced boy snarled furiously, before stomping towards the staircase. There was no way in hell Albedo would give that femme fatale such an opportunity! _Over my dead body!_ Er, well, that did not make much sense, considering Albedo could not die…but the bottom line was _STAY AWAY FROM RUBEDO!!_

_Crunch…_

Albedo so nearly stampeded up the staircase when noise halted him in his tracks. _Crunch_. Boots skidding against glass-covered carpet, the white-haired Variant kept his violet eyes forward, unwilling to look behind him as more _crunch…crunch…crunch_ neared. His heart skipped a beat, and a bead of sweat quickly perspired down his face. _Crunch_. Yes, Albedo admitted that he instigated the earlier sound effects to freak-out Sakura.

However…right now…_crunch_…Albedo was not even moving…_crunch_…and…_crunch…CRUNCH…CRUNCH…_

Who was there?

"S-S-Sakura…?" stammered Albedo, knowing she was upstairs, but too scared to keep his thoughts focused on logic as the _crunch…crunch…crunch_ came _closer…closer…closer…_

"N-Ni-gredo?"

_Crunch…closer…CRUNCH…closer…CRUNCH…closer…_

Shuddering, Albedo whimpered a "Ru-be-d-do…?" whilst clutching his half-heart in a prayerful manner, wishing Rubedo was near.

Fortunately, something was indeed nearby.

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

_Un_fortunately, that 'something' behind Albedo was definitely not Rubedo.

The train's poor unfortunate stairs almost screamed as loudly as Albedo when the boy scrambled upstairs, tripping several times and clawing the rails and steps like a cat. _Fraidy cat_…that is what Rubedo would call Albedo during a moment like this. But right now, Albedo would love nothing better than to find his twin and hear such teases. Yes, find Rubedo! The redhead would protect Albedo from whatever that 'thing' was! Find Rubedo! Run into his arms! The blissful thoughts drove tears to the frightened middle brother, provoking his amethyst eyes to clamp shut whilst he ran.

…A very bad idea, indeed.

_BANG!!_

The screaming and running was abruptly cut short when Albedo almost went sailing backwards down the stairs! The moment Albedo's boots reached the top of the stairs, he blindly ran into 'something,' sending him to his feet. Clutching the stairs to prevent himself from tumbling down them, Albedo quickly crawled away from them to a safer spot on the floor. On his hands and knees, the Variant kept his eyes on the dirty carpet, panting and sweating heavily in attempts to calm down. Albedo was safe, right?

Then why did a large shadow suddenly hover over him? A _presence _drove Albedo's heart to stop for a second. Icicles were probably not as frigid as Albedo felt in that very moment. The boy nearly wetted himself when the corners of his tear-filled eyes noticed the overhead presence's shadow was accompanied by…_white_?!

_Shadows…presences…white_…what did they have in common?

GHOSTS!!!!

Not even wanting to see _it_, Albedo defensively curled up into a ball and screamed at the top of his lungs. "RUBEDO!!!!"

"_Albedo_?! Is that you?"

For a moment, the white-haired boy nearly jumped for joy at getting a response to his cry. Sadly, the second his brain overrode his fear-clouded thoughts, Albedo's scream ended with a blink. Much to Albedo's dismay, the voice that replied to him was not his other half's but…

_Wait a second_: shadow…presence…white…white _dress_…

_Damn_, the middle child cursed, grinding his teeth as the realization sunk-in like disgusting-flavored cough medicine. Hissing, Albedo peered over his shoulder to see Mata Hari herself on her hands and knees, also apparently knocked over after Albedo's collision. One had to remember that Sakura was up here, too. _Terrific_.

And the worst, most ego-bashing part about the whole ordeal was Albedo just mistook Sakura for a ghost! _She_ scared _him_! So what if it was unintentional? This situation was meant to be the other way around so Albedo scared Sakura. Why the hell were Albedo's plans backfiring today?! _Why?_

But there was one saving grace to this moment. Rubedo did not seem nearby, and while that always left Albedo vulnerable, it also meant Sakura could not dig her claws into the redhead. Albedo did live under the assumption that if he could not have Rubedo, nobody else should have the link master, either. By no means did Albedo feel ashamed upon realizing how selfish he sounded. All Albedo wanted was his twin, nothing more. Frankly, Albedo did not think one little request like that warranted outright selfishness. Strangely, nobody seemed to agree with him…

"Are you alright?"

During Albedo's musings, Sakura had climbed back on her feet and strolled over to the fallen boy. Sakura had to admit; Albedo almost gave her a heart attack when he rammed into her back. Then again, at the time, Sakura never realized it was Albedo who ran into her. But now that the excitement was over, the brunette girl had to also admit that she was glad to see Albedo here. True, Sakura did not know 'why' he was here (_didn't Albedo and Nigredo stay behind at the gas station?_)_. _Regardless, at least Albedo was not some ghost out to hurt Sakura, either. She trusted Albedo, which was why Sakura offered him a helping hand. "You're not hurt, are you Albedo?"

Blinking a few times, Albedo's purple eyes darted between Sakura's outstretched hand and her warm green eyes. Granted, Sakura still looked a tad shaken-up, but she seemed considerably calmer in Albedo's presence. Why? _Oh great_, she trusted him. Ordinarily, Albedo would have taken advantage of the situation to execute some good old-fashioned revenge on the emerald-eyed vamp. She looked like a scared little girl naively offering herself to an ill-intentioned stranger, just because he had a nice face or gave her candy. Sakura Mizrahi was a tad too trusting for her own good, especially around Albedo. Then again, it was not as though Sakura knew all the hateful thoughts Albedo related to her, or how he was itching to torment her.

Then again, it was not as though Albedo was _actually _inflicting physical harm upon Sakura, either.

The urge was strong: _grab her hand, and toss her down the staircase_. Yes. Heavens knew a U.R.T.V. could effortlessly drop a frail girl as if she were a sack of potatoes. Sakura was practically asking Albedo to hurt her after all those crude things she did to him lately. _She_ was the one at fault, always getting in the damn way. _She_ was the reason Albedo often contemplated ripping out his heart. It was _her _fault that Rubedo did not give a crap about his other half anymore!

So…why did Albedo refrain from sending the hurt right back at Sakura?

"Albedo? Are you okay?"

Because, like it or not, Sakura Mizrahi actually gave a crap about Albedo. Why? Albedo did not know, nor did he care to find out. He could not stand the brunette, but Sakura did not seem to return his resentment, did she? Why else would she have offered him a hand of concern? Was she trying to seduce him, too; enchant Albedo with her green eyes, like Nigredo would with his inherent powers? Maybe she was trying to lead Albedo into a false sense of security.

Or _worse_, maybe she actually cared about Albedo.

_Damn!_

Why the hell did a so-called bioweapon need a conscience, anyway?

"Albedo-?"

"I'm _fine_," Albedo finally grunted, before swatting her hand away and rising on his own. He may not have sent Sakura careening down the staircase, but that did not mean Albedo was going to soften to the point of accepting her hand. The very thought of holding Sakura's hand, for any reason, caused Albedo's skin to crawl. He may not have a gargantuan amount of pride left after today's embarrassing escapades, but Albedo was proud enough not to hold Sakura's hand. He did not care how nicely Sakura was currently treating him. There was only one person in the world Albedo allowed to hold his hand…and it sure as hell was not this wench!

Dusting himself off, for lack of anything better to do, Albedo kept his eyes away from Sakura's. Those emeralds of hers kept persistently attempting to lock with his amethysts, and would in turn chip away the boy's conscience. Albedo did not care if Sakura just-so-happened to be his guardian angel. The middle child did not like Sakura and that was final! He owed nothing to her and would not humor Sakura's inquiries.

If Albedo were better behaved, he would have asked if Sakura was okay, too. But she was still standing on her own, so what more proof did he need of her state? Albedo really did not want to get chummy with this harridan, anyway, so he cut to the chase. "Where's Rubedo?" he asked, keeping his voice in check for safety's sake. Albedo did not want to sound too aggressive, or possessive. Albedo could care less if he offended Sakura. However, in the event Rubedo was nearby and overheard his twin saying hurtful words to Sakura, that would not lead to anything pleasant for Albedo. Therefore, the white-haired brother kept his voice as neutral as possible. Pretending to not have followed Rubedo and Sakura onto the train, Albedo blankly glanced around the upstairs corridor. "Did he come up here?"

Sakura hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she nevertheless nodded. "He did, though it was before I came up here. Rubedo went ahead of me, but he…" Pausing, Sakura bit her lip, hesitantly staring at Albedo's profile. Sakura was smart enough to know how close the twins were, and she knew Albedo got particularly paranoid whenever something happened to Rubedo. The last thing Sakura wished was to send Albedo into a panic the moment he discovered "…Rubedo hasn't come back yet."

Naturally, Sakura's words more than easily got Albedo's attention. He had already known about Rubedo venturing upstairs before Sakura. However, only now did Albedo realize that, as Sakura noted, Rubedo had yet to return. Surely, Rubedo would have come back by now, right? What was taking so long upstairs? From where Albedo and Sakura stood by the stairs, the train's second floor did not appear overly eventful. There were many passenger cabins, but otherwise, the place was as dull and derelict as the rest of the rotten train.

So then, the question remained: _Where…where's Rubedo?_

All of a sudden, Sakura and her flirtations did not seem so dire to Albedo anymore. As if a gear was shifted inside of him, his very attention was taken off Sakura and onto Rubedo. Worries flooded the middle child's body like a thunderous waterfall. Where was Rubedo? Why was he taking so long? Was he okay? Did he get hurt?! Oh dear God, what if he was hurt? What would Albedo do? Albedo could not stand it if something terrible happened to his twin! What would he do without Rubedo? How could Albedo possibly tell Nigredo the news? What would become of them?! No! No! _No_! This was too soon! Rubedo could not leave him behind so soon!! Albedo would never let Rubedo do that!

"Albedo? Where are you going?"

"To find Rubedo! Where _else_?" Albedo curtly snapped, shooting a second-long glare over his shoulder to the clueless girl. He wanted to say a few other not-so-nice words to Sakura while he was at it, but time was of the essence. Short and simple: Albedo had to find Rubedo. Sakura was unimportant.

But Sakura was not nonexistent, either.

"Wait! I'm going with you!" she called, before Albedo heard her ridiculous shoes scamper in his direction. Snarling in quiet agitation, the boy cringed upon the notification that Rubedo's pretty princess wanted to find her prince. _How sickeningly noble_. Why could Sakura not go sit in a balcony and wait for Rubedo, just like all those princesses did in fairytales? Was that not the duty of a princess: sit around, do nothing, bat her eyes, and wait until her charming prince came to rescue her from her boring life? Albedo did not read as many books as Rubedo, so his sexist opinions were rooted in limited literary recollections. Nevertheless, Albedo was not relishing the idea of Sakura following him. He could find Rubedo on his own, without any chance of Sakura horning in on Albedo's discovery.

"You go wait downstairs," replied Albedo, stopping and Sakura following suit. He did not dare turn and face her, so the white-haired boy coldly kept his back to the girl. Tightening a fist, Albedo inhaled a deep breath before possessively grumbling, "Rubedo's _my_ twin."

The sharp tone Albedo grunted more than easily caused Sakura to blink. She was not sure whether to be happy or sad at this moment. On the one hand, Albedo's devotion to Rubedo was admirable beyond words. Honestly, Sakura admired the twins' bond. Every time she saw a glimpse of Albedo and Rubedo's affection, Sakura felt a breath get caught in her throat and her heart squeezed. _They really care about each other, don't they?_

However, on the _other _hand, Sakura noticed the pint of aggression in Albedo's words. She knew the middle Variant was not fond of her, but Sakura was starting to get a gist of why Albedo seemed to dislike her. The outright possessiveness in his voice was as obvious as if Albedo wore a sign around his neck.

Biting her lip, Sakura glanced downward for a second, realizing _I'M the problem, aren't I?_

Today had not turned out to be very fruitful regarding Sakura's mission to overcome her fears. Days like these reminded Sakura of how easily a person took life for granted. But Sakura was not stupid, either. After living with her CNS disorder for so long, the girl learned to cherish and savor however many days, weeks, and years left of her life. At the very least, Sakura wanted every remaining day to be constructive. If she could not face her fears to help herself, the next option was settling Albedo's fears to help _him_. Regardless of however Albedo felt about her, Sakura did like Rubedo's twin.

"Rubedo is…very lucky to have you, Albedo."

Never expecting those words from Sakura's lips, Albedo's eyes blinked in his perking head.

"You came all the way out here to look after Rubedo, didn't you?" Well, that was one way Sakura could have worded the truth, but Albedo was not about to tell her the 'whole' truth. Naively, the girl giggled softly. If Albedo did not resent her so much, he might have dubbed Sakura's giggle 'cute.' It was that typical coquettish giggle girls seemed to inherently possess, and the sound was sweet and grating at the same time. Albedo _much_ preferred Rubedo's laugh, so energetic and adorable. It was a sure-fire way for Albedo's heart to flutter.

"You and Rubedo look out for each other, and I think it's very sweet, Albedo."

Yeah right. As if Albedo cared about Sakura's opinions regarding his and Rubedo's relationship. If Albedo never cared about Nigredo's, Dmitri's, or the rest of his "family's" opinions, what made Sakura assume her judgment mattered? It might have mattered to Rubedo, but to Albedo, Sakura's likes and dislikes held the same value as the dirt under his boots.

"_I think it's very sweet, Albedo."_

Still, Albedo would have been lying if he claimed Sakura's "sweet" adjective did not pique _something_ inside him. He had no idea what that 'something' was, though.

"I don't…" Sakura trailed, shuffling a foot and tracing patterns in the filthy carpet like a child might with fresh snow. "I don't know what it's like to have a sibling. I hope to know soon, once my little sister is born, but…I can't be sure about that." Of course, Albedo knew what Sakura was hinting about. Rubedo was notorious for changing the subject whenever Sakura's illness crept into the conversation, specifically regarding how her illness was _fatal_. Sakura was not a fatalistic girl, but she did have tendencies of "planning ahead," in the event her condition took a turn for the worst. After all, few people knew the exact time, date, and place they would die, so the next best thing was seizing moments and tying as many loose ends. Albedo could sympathize. He may never die, but the same could not be said for Rubedo and Nigredo.

"Sometimes I wonder what it might be like to, you' know, have a sibling to look after. To be close to them, like you and Rubedo are. Hehe, I think I'd enjoy that. It must be nice to share a bond like that."

Albedo bit his lip. Yes, it was "nice" to share his bond with Rubedo, sometimes better than just "nice." Mere words could never fully describe how "nice" his and Rubedo's bond felt sometimes.

However, Albedo could not forget that the twins' relationship was not _always _"nice." If Sakura thought Rubedo and Albedo's bond was a perpetual "happily ever after" scenario, she was gravely mistaken. Typically, the twins argued more than they smiled. Hurt feelings were practically second nature. In retrospect, Albedo knew the vast majority of tears he shed in his lifetime almost always stemmed back to Rubedo in some minute way. The only reason Sakura probably assumed Rubedo and Albedo were so damn perfect was because they behaved themselves far better in her presence than at home. In the subconscious domain, Rubedo was usually busy with Sakura, and Albedo kept his distance. Rubedo never liked to start a scene with Sakura around. But once the U.R.T.V.s dove-out, that was when the insults were spat, the fists flew, and the feelings got hurt. So many nights Albedo cried himself to sleep, alone in his bed to wallow over some Rubedo-relevant melodrama.

"_You and Rubedo look out for each other, and I think it's very sweet, Albedo."_

Of course, once in a _very _blue moon, during the wee hours of the morning…the Albedo sobbing into his pillow would feel something climb into his cot. A warm, gentle weight would nestle against him, and arms would lace around the younger brother's trembling frame. The wet pillow would be forgotten, and instead Albedo would burry his tear-stained face against Rubedo's beating half-heart. Only then would Albedo finally fall asleep. Then, come morning, just before Nigredo awoke and teased them, the twins would exchange smiles, winks…silent messages only they could decode. The boys never apologized, because saying "I'm sorry" was just not in either twin's nature. But one way or another, they knew.

"_It must be nice to share a bond like that."_

The middle child's lips pursed, fighting both a frown and a smile pulling Albedo's trembling lips up and down. Sakura was the last person on earth to which Albedo wanted to appear weak. He did not possess the most stable grip on his emotions. Nevertheless, Albedo refused to give this coquette any more satisfactions, especially since Sakura already had Rubedo.

_Rubedo…_

"_It must be nice to share a bond like that."_

Oh yes, it was "nice" to have that bond, but it was not so "nice" to _lose _it, either! Who the hell did Sakura think she was? It was hypocritical for Sakura to banter about the twins' bond when she was the very reason the bond was breaking! Before Sakura, Albedo and Rubedo were inseparable. Yes, they still argued back then, but not to the vehement extents the twins did nowadays. Before Sakura, Rubedo was not ashamed to be close with Albedo and offer affection. Now, it was painstakingly obvious Rubedo was embarrassed whenever Albedo got close to him, and Rubedo's embarrassment offended Albedo. Before Sakura, Albedo was much happier. Everything between the twins was just fine until that brunette bitch stepped onto the stage!

"Albedo-?"

"Don't you _dare _humor me!" blasted the white-haired boy, finally spinning around and locking dagger-like amethysts into Sakura's surprised emeralds. Not caring about the consequences, Albedo snarled viciously at the timid girl. His blood boiled via her ignorance, while tears pricked Albedo's eyes via Sakura's sweet memory-jarring words. Emotions clashed within him: cold resentment and warm bittersweetness. For the first time since Sakura waltzed into his life, Albedo was unsure whether or not to like or hate her.

But not wanting to show weakness to Sakura, Albedo drove on his default hatred. "You don't fool me! I see right through you, flaunting your victory and feeling sorry for me! Don't waste your breath! No matter what you do or say, Rubedo will always be my other half! _Always_!" he nearly screamed, balling his fists and clamping his watering eyes shut. "You'll _never_ change that!"

The boy's outburst obviously surprised Sakura, provoking her to blink carefully, as if fluttering her lashes too quickly might further disturb the fragile Albedo. Silence overtook the twosome, minus the occasional sniffle Albedo stubbornly stifled. The Variant's eyes remained closed for a multitude of reasons, while Sakura's continued to blink slowly. Lost in their own deep thoughts, neither child uttered a word to break the awkward silence.

Until…

"You're absolutely right, Albedo."

Uncertain if he heard Sakura correctly, Albedo's glossy eyes reopened quickly, instantly meeting the girl's green orbs. According to one of the many books Rubedo read, green was the color often associated with feelings of jealousy. _How ironic_. Yet, why was it that when Albedo currently looked into Sakura's eyes, he did not _feel_ jealous? For the vast majority of this day, the white-haired twin had been a raving, envious lunatic. But now, after hearing all those nice things from Sakura…Albedo still did not like her, but…

"_Nothing _will ever change the bond you and Rubedo share."

Her hands somehow found their way to Albedo's shoulders, so quickly he never had time to react before Sakura smiled brightly. "Rubedo's…so lucky to have you, Albedo."

She said that to Albedo once before, but this time around, Albedo found himself actually _listening _to Sakura's words. The kind smile on her lips never wavered, though her eyes were windows to the girl's intentions. And much to Albedo's shock, nothing behind Sakura's eyes suggested her "humoring" him. Did that mean Sakura was honest? Did she not pity Albedo? Was Sakura, perhaps, _jealous_ of _Albedo_? No. Albedo highly doubted such, because he spoke from experience when he noticed Sakura did not appear jealous. No. What baffled Albedo was how damn sincere Sakura looked.

"And…_you_'re very lucky to have Rubedo, too, Albedo."

Sakura was happy for the twins.

And if it was as Sakura agreed: nothing would ever change the twins' bond, then…why was Albedo jealous in the first place? What did he have to fear?

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

Well, that roaring-thing was certainly fearful.

Gasping together, Sakura and Albedo spun back towards the stairs from whence the roar came. Sakura's hands protectively flew to her hammering chest, while Albedo's fists tightened again, this time to control his nerves. Whatever that 'thing' was, it was nearby, and most likely heading upstairs and coming for them. And where oh where was Rubedo? Sakura and Albedo prayed to God this roaring creature was not responsible for the redhead's disappearance.

Unfortunately, Albedo and Sakura needed to worry about their own predicament, too. If Rubedo was not around to protect them, then that meant one thing:

They needed to protect each other.

Still torn between so many damn contradictory feelings regarding the seductress, Albedo's head felt like spinning. He really did not want to pose as Rubedo's substitute hero (and Albedo would be Goddamned if he ever accepted a kiss from Sakura Mizrahi! _No way in hell!_ Of course, getting kissed by someone _else_ might be nice…_er, now isn't the time!_). Even so, Albedo's stupid conscience kept probing him to do something about Sakura. If need be, the white-haired twin could take care of himself. He was a U.R.T.V. Variant after all, and though scared, Albedo could "kick ass" just as proficiently as his other half. Albedo proved his physical strength the day he severely beat-up standard U.R.T.V. Number 623.

Sakura, on the other hand, was just a scared, weak little girl…

Reiteratively cursing his conscience, Albedo gritted his teeth before snatching Sakura's wrist (not her hand, of course). Ignoring her yelps, the boy yanked her with him towards the nearest cabin door. Although shut, the door was not locked and easily opened to display a dim, but vacant, cabin. Without questions asked, the white-haired Variant pushed the white-skirted girl into the room, knocking Sakura to the grimy carpeted floor. Back on her hands and knees, the fallen Sakura glanced back up over her shoulder to where Albedo stood at the threshold, clutching the doorknob. Emeralds and amethysts locked for one more second.

Again, why in U-DO's name did a bioweapon need a conscience?

"Shut up and stay in here," ordered Albedo, never giving Sakura a chance to open her mouth before he slammed the door behind him. He did not want Sakura to flatter herself into thinking he actually 'cared' about her. Rest assured, the one and only reason Albedo hid her from harm's way was on account of Rubedo. If something terrible ever happened to Sakura, Rubedo would take it the hardest. Albedo may not care about Sakura's feelings, but Rubedo's feelings were an entirely different story.

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

But now that Sakura was out of the way, Albedo had to worry about himself. He was all alone, up against an unknown creature roaming the train. Just because Sakura was safe did not mean Albedo was safe as well. Hating to be alone, and never liking to fight by himself, Albedo did the next best thing and broke into a sprint down the hall. Nobody ever said he was obligated to fight the monster, after all. At the end of the hallway, Albedo could see a cabin door open ajar; the perfect place for him to hide! Once the roaring creature was gone, Albedo could leave his refuge, get Sakura, and then go find Rubedo…

…_Rubedo._

Albedo's split-second-long distraction provided the ideal chance for him to blindly run right into a hole near the end of the hall. He never even saw it until Albedo noticed gravity pull him down like a vacuum. By the time he screamed, Albedo hit the ground, and everything went dark.

**To Be Continued In The Last Chapter**

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**A/N**: Cliffhanger ending, hehe. Don't worry; Ch.5 will wrap up all these mysteries.

Okay, hate me or like me, but I enjoy stories that pit Albedo and Sakura on semi-civilized terms (note the "semi"). I do believe Albedo's resentment towards Sakura was always more Rubedo-centric: not so much "Albedo dislikes Sakura," but more so "Albedo dislikes Rubedo for falling for Sakura." Plus, I have read canon databases that claim Albedo never 100% "hated" Sakura, too, especially after her sacrificial death in _Xenosaga I&II_. I know Albedo's claimed he hated Sakura, but seriously folks, Albedo's been known for saying one thing and meaning something else. You can't always take his words face value. I suppose it's debatable. Nevertheless, I hope people liked this chapter, and more importantly, didn't find it OOC. If you do, I apologize. -_-

Well, this spooky squee wraps-up next week with the grand finale, and I promise you: it's going to be _cute_! *^.^* I hope readers are still enjoying this story. Reviews always help inspire me.


	5. My Hero Rubedo!

**COPYRIGHT NOTE**: I don't own _Xenosaga_

**COMMENTS**: Viola, everyone: the last chapter! Enjoy!

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**Fearless and Fluffy**

_Aiselne Nocturnus_

**Chapter 5  
"My Hero Rubedo!"**

Sakura was stunned.

"_Don't you DARE humor me! You don't fool me! I see right through you, flaunting your victory and feeling sorry for me! Don't waste your breath! No matter what you do or say, Rubedo will always be my other half! ALWAYS! You'll NEVER change that!"_

In fact, "stunned" was a gross understatement for how the young Mizrahi girl felt at that given moment. In so many ways, Sakura felt as though she finally understood Albedo. It all made sense: why Albedo was never fond of Sakura, especially whenever Rubedo was around. Honestly, Sakura dubbed herself quite naive for not realizing Albedo's feelings sooner. She was indeed the problem, even if Sakura never meant to be a problem. It was no small wonder why Albedo hated her.

"_Shut up and stay in here."_

Then again, "hate" was such an extremely strong word, and it did not seem to suit Albedo…_completely_. After all, if Albedo did hate Sakura's guts, then he obviously would not have cared if anything terrible happened to her, would he? And considering there was some roaring 'thing' loose on the train, it posed the ideal chance for Albedo to leave Sakura at the mercy of that creature. For all the kids knew, the monster could possess the abilities to tear Sakura into ribbons. What a perfect opportunity this was for Albedo to exact vengeance, and claim Rubedo as his own. Yet, lo and behold, the white-haired Variant hid Sakura in a safe place.

Perhaps Albedo did not hate Sakura as passionately as she, and perhaps even _he_, originally believed. And now, Albedo left, and while Sakura did not know exactly where he went, she had a hunch he went to go find Rubedo.

_They really care about each other, don't they?_

It was difficult for Sakura not to smile, particularly upon recalling…

"'_U.R.T.V Numbers 666, 667, and 669' reporting for duty?" Sakura blinked, sitting on the edge of her bed before the three male newcomers. After the Variants' unceremonious first encounter in Sakura's subconscious domain, specifically in her bedroom, the awkwardness passed and more proper introductions had to be made. The young Mizrahi girl was still getting over the initial shock of meeting the boys, never mind being able to communicate with them. These three young men were clearly a blessing, and yet, "Don't you boys have real names? You're humans, just like me, but those titles sound like model numbers."_

_Rubedo, Albedo, and Nigredo exchanged awkward glances, before the trio's leader stepped forward. In a way, Rubedo was amazed Sakura never screamed and kicked the boys out of her house for rudely barging into her room. This moment was not a textbook definition of 'perfect,' so the last thing Rubedo wanted to do was press whatever luck he and his brothers had left._

"_Uh…yeah, sure. We have names…" the redhead trailed, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck whilst feeling Sakura's green eyes on him. It did not help that Rubedo was a tad embarrassed from the earlier coordinate-goofing hoopla. The Variants certainly made one helluva first impression on Sakura; the renowned Mizrahi daughter U.R.T.V.s were meant to cure. "But…our dad usually prefers us to go by our serial numbers, especially during work. 'Professionalism' and that sorta' thing. He told us to address you as 'Miss Mizrahi,' too."_

_Cocking her head curiously, Sakura nodded once. "I see, but your dad's not here now, is he?"_

"_I guess not…" Though Rubedo knew Dmitri monitored all Encephalon dives._

"_Then you don't have to be so formal," chirped Sakura, rising to her bare feet and standing before the three Variants. "Call me Sakura. I'd like to know your names, too, if you don't mind."_

_The brothers exchanged one last round of glances, before the link master shrugged indifferently. What harm could there be in telling Miss Mizrahi their real names? Even if Dmitri made a fuss about it, the whole 'name' issue was pretty insignificant. Honestly, Rubedo was expecting Dmitri to lecture him for flubbing the dive coordinates, rather than complain about simple name-calling._

"_Alright then, 'Sakura'," Rubedo nodded with a smile. For some reason, he found it difficult to say her name without smiling. Of course, Rubedo was not stupid, either. His knowledge of various vintage books already gave him preexisting knowledge of understanding what 'Sakura' meant. 'Cherry blossom.' It was a very lovely name, fitting for such a pretty girl._

_To be honest, when Rubedo first heard rumors about the sick Mizrahi daughter, he expected to meet a bedridden person, haggard and frail like many hospitalized patients. Granted, his current position was in the Encephalon, so the 'real' Sakura was probably better in tune with Rubedo's earlier assumptions. But this girl standing before him was just real; animated, vibrant, and (if Rubedo did say so himself) Sakura was quite cute, too. It did not help that Sakura happened to be the first girl Rubedo met, minus the female institute scientists and his sisters, who rarely associated with him. All other times had been spent with his brothers, namely Albedo and Nigredo. Today happened to be not just Rubedo's first encounter with Sakura, but also his first 'real' encounter with a girl his age. Getting a crash-course in the opposite sex was enough to baffle the link master, tying his tongue before mustering the will to say, "I'm Rubedo," he introduced, before pointing to his respective siblings. "This is Nigredo, and that's Albedo."_

"_Hehe, pleased to meet you," Sakura chirped in a giggle, before eagerly shaking each boy's tattooed hand. Offering handshakes in the order Rubedo introduced him and his brothers, Sakura's hands touched Albedo's last. By then, Nigredo and Rubedo got their handshakes. Nigredo, nonchalant as ever, just stood there respectfully, obviously waiting for whenever this prolonged introduction ended so the Variants could get back to work. And Rubedo…_

…_Rubedo just kept staring at his hand, as if he were seeing it for the first time. There was not one smidgen of perplexity or sadness on Rubedo's face, either. Quite the contrary, the redhead looked…happy._

_So if Rubedo was happy, why did Albedo not feel the same?_

"_I like your eyes."_

_Albedo's complimented eyes blinked, tearing themselves away from Rubedo and back to the newly acquainted Mizrahi girl. Her warm hands had already left Albedo's, though the boy could still feel her warmth linger. It felt strange. He never held a girl's hand before, though a handshake was not entirely the same as "holding hands," certainly not how Albedo held hands with…_

"_Purple is such a pretty color," Sakura noted, before trotting over to her bed where two violet-colored shoes rested below the bed frame. After slipping on her shoes, the brunette then offered a smile back to the middle child. "Actually, it's one of my favorite colors."_

_Truthfully, Albedo could care less about this girl's likes and dislikes. Her compliment was nice, but Albedo was not going to dwell on it. Sakura was just an acquaintance within the U.R.T.V.s' line of work, and Albedo preferred to keep any relationship with Sakura strictly professional._

_On the other hand, Albedo's relationship with Rubedo was… "Heh, actually, that's my favorite color, right Albedo?" Well, Albedo was not entirely sure 'what' to call his and his twin's relationship. However, when Rubedo complimented Albedo like that, putting a hand on the younger brother's shoulder reassuringly…Albedo knew his face matched his own favorite color._

"_Looks like we have something in common," noted Sakura, before heading for her open bedroom door. "Well, now that we've broken the ice, would you guys like a tour of the house? I'm not sure if there's any food in the kitchen…or if we can even eat it here…hehe…" she trailed, never expecting guests in her subconscious domain. Thus, it was anyone's guesses regarding what the kids could and could not do to pass the time. But it was always worth checking, right? "My house is pretty boring, but…"_

"_Are you kidding, Sakura?!" Rubedo suddenly interrupted, flashing the girl one of his many ecstatic grins. Par usual, the antique-savvy boy could not help but marvel at how vintage Sakura's house appeared: a simple country cottage, unlike the sterile, equipment-filled facilities cluttering the Yuriev Institute. "Your house is so cool! We don't have anything like this back home, do we guys? I can't wait to see more of this place!"_

_Giggling by the redhead's fiery excitement, Sakura smiled brighter and nodded enthusiastically. "Okay then. Follow me, and I'll give you the grand tour!"_

"_Sweet!" gushed Rubedo, before turning to his younger brothers. The red-haired Variant's excitement was always enough to illuminate a room. "Come' on Albedo! Nigredo! Let's go!" Of course, before either brother could reply, Rubedo had already run ahead, disappearing with Sakura down the second floor hallway. Nigredo typically followed suit, leaving Albedo the last one. Even once Nigredo had left the room, Albedo's boots never shuffled._

_Albedo did not like getting left behind…_

"_What're you waiting for, Albedo?"_

_But Rubedo came back for him, and…_

"_Come' ON! Jeez, you're totally useless without me, aren't you?"_

_If only Rubedo knew the truth within his own words…_

…_Especially once his hand intertwined with Albedo's, impatiently tugging him._

"_Why're you so warm and red all of a sudden, Albedo? Dammit, don't tell me you're coming down with something. Argh, and of all times! Well, whatever it is, don't give it to me. I'm the link master, and I can't afford to get sick just because YOU do, got it, Albedo? I still don't like seeing you sick, though…and…crap, why's your nose running, too?! What the hell did you pick up?"_

_Rubedo did have tendencies of being quite clueless when it came to these types of matters. Nevertheless, the warm, blissful swelling in Albedo's chest more than easily overrode the older twin's naivety. Sniffling his nose clear, Albedo swallowed behind a small smile, offering a sincere glance from the amethyst eyes he knew Rubedo cherished. Shyly but sincerely, the white-haired twin squeezed Rubedo's hand. "I'm…okay, Rubedo. Really."_

_The redhead did not look 100% convinced, but having no other choice, he relented. "Well…alright. If you say so. But I want you to take it easy. Dad gets pissy when we slack off, but I can't picture him being very happy if you overdo things and run yourself ragged. Then I'LL be the one he bitches to! So don't push yourself, and stick with me, okay Albedo?"_

_Another squeeze…from Rubedo's hand…_

…_Another squeeze…inside Albedo's chest._

_Stick with Rubedo? Albedo doubted he could disobey his brother's orders if he tried. "Okay, Rubedo."_

_Unbeknownst to the twins, Sakura and Nigredo silently stood at the room's threshold. Sights such as Rubedo and Albedo's current state were not uncommon for Nigredo's teal eyes, but Sakura was a different story. She had only just met the U.R.T.V. Variants, but she already knew one factor that was without question regarding Rubedo and Albedo. _

_They really care about each other, don't they?_

It was impossible for Sakura not to smile.

_Crunch…_

Too bad the girl's warm, blissful feelings were short-lived. Snapped out of her serene thoughts, Sakura craned her neck over one shoulder, peering to the nearest corner of her musty cabin whence the crunch came. The cabin was small, simply furnished with a modestly decorated bed, a nightstand, and mirrored dresser. A gentle breeze skimmed between frayed browned curtains covering a broken window. Glass was on this cabin's carpet, too, though to lesser extents than the rest of the train due to only one little window. Nevertheless, there was clearly enough glass for 'something' to go _crunch…crunch…crunch…_

Sakura was not alone in this room.

A million questions whirled through her head, but Sakura never heeded them. If she started flooding her mind with questions, whatever was crunching glass behind the bed might use the opportunity to harm her. _No! That does it!_ Sakura was tired of running away! Pulling herself to her feet, the brunette dusted off her dress, ironed any wrinkles, and then took a deep breath. This is what Rubedo would want Sakura to do; face her fear. Something had been tormenting her and her friends for long enough. Technically, it was thanks to Sakura that she and the Variants even got entangled in this spooky mess, so she believed it was her duty to end this matter once and for all.

_Crunch…crunch…crunch…_

She could not differentiate which crunches came from her traversing feet, or from whatever was grinding glass behind the bed frame.

_Crunch…crunch…CRUNCH…_

A hand rose to her pounding heart as Sakura reached the bedpost.

_CRUNCH…CRUNCH…CRUNCH…_

For one brief second, she clamped her emerald eyes shut. Sakura almost shuddered, but she remained as steady as possible. Giving into fear was the perfect way to lose her nerve, and Sakura could not afford that…not when she was so very, very close to looking over the bed. Her heart pounded vigorously, her breath quickened, and she almost felt faint. But no…she was so close…Sakura could do this…yes…closer…_closer…_

_CRUNCH…CRUN-!_

_It_ stopped moving…Sakura stopped moving.

_It_ saw her…she saw _it_.

Black eyes met green eyes, and the girl never had time to shriek before _it_ lunged.

- - - - -

"Argh…owww…" Albedo moaned a whine, blinking several times to focus his blurry vision. Everything was a fog, except for the throbbing pain across his chest. He recalled falling, though it happened so quickly Albedo could not remember why the hell he went plummeting to the floor in the first place. Obviously, there had been a hole he missed spotting, but obviously he did not miss stupidly running into it. Boy, would Rubedo laugh his ass off if he ever found out about Albedo's embarrassing folly. _"Watch out for that first step, Albedo! It's a doozy! Hahaha!" _and that sort of wiseassed ridicule credited only to Rubedo. Fortunately, the said wiseass was not nearby to tease Albedo.

…So Albedo thought, anyway.

The white-haired Variant landed on his chest and stomach, which felt as stingingly painful as a belly flop into a swimming pool. Still partially disoriented, Albedo's hands felt around his hazy surroundings, expecting to feel the train's typical glass and dirt. He assumed he must have been in one of the train's cabins, since there was carpeting here and no passenger seats. Cautious not to cut his palms on potential glass, Albedo's hands traversed gently, slowly…warmly. Wait…_warmly_?! Come to think of it, Albedo noticed his hands never felt the floor's cool glass or dirt under his touch. Instead, his fingers felt something warm, something soft, something…something _moving_!

His first instincts told Albedo to get the hell out of there! However, his blurry vision focused in the nick of time for the boy's widening eyes to realize what he was lying on top of.

More specifically…'_who_' Albedo was lying on top of.

_Oh God_… Though, if there was a God, Albedo doubted even He could have orchestrated this moment to be anymore…_perfect_. Of course, Albedo was smart enough to know he was dreaming. The fall through the hole obviously knocked out Albedo, and now he was having crazy little fantasies about…_Rubedo_. But no, this could not be real. If this happened in reality, Rubedo would have already awoke, realized 'who' was on top of him, and would have exploded into a Red Dragon-style shit-fit. Instead, the redhead just rested on his back, seemingly unconscious, with his chest occasionally rising and falling underneath Albedo's trembling hands.

But dream or no dream, Albedo had to admit that Rubedo looked undeniably…_adorable_, enveloped in sweet slumber. It was when people dreamed that they always looked like innocent children, regardless of age. Every so often, the redhead's lips parted, emitting soft breaths Albedo could only hear thanks to his close proximity. The said closeness easily drove the younger brother's cheeks to match Rubedo's hair, but at the same time, the twins' shared warmth felt so…_perfect_.

Even though this was a dream, Albedo smiled contently. So what if this was a dream? Let Albedo savor his little fantasies. What harm would they cause? Eventually, he would wake up and everything would be back to their normally unpleasant realities. Until then, the blissful middle Variant decided to relish this rare drop of ecstasy. Closing his amethyst eyes, Albedo slowly lowered his head, resting his ear atop his other half's warm chest. "Rubedo…"

"…Al…Albedo…?"

Oh how sweet, Rubedo replied. This dream was getting lovelier by the second.

"…S-Sakura?"

So much for sweetness.

When Albedo's eyes opened again, his vision was once again blurred, though for 'another' reason this time. No. Sakura was not supposed to be part of this dream. Even though the cherry princess proved not to be quite as "evil" as Albedo once believed, Albedo did not want her in this dream. No. It should be just him and Rubedo. Sakura tarnished Albedo's once-perfect fantasies, deteriorating the ecstasy and pricking the hopeful boy's purple eyes with glossing tears. _Don't ruin this._

"…Saku…ra?"

_No! Stop saying her name!_ Albedo practically begged, clamping his eyes shut and digging his fingers into Rubedo's shirt.

"Sa…ku…"

_Stop it!_

"Sa-"

_STOP!!!_

"S-"

Sniffling back sobs, the younger twin reluctantly tore himself away from his precious little fantasy. Ever so carefully, Albedo pulled himself to his feet, mindful not to hurt or stir the unconscious Rubedo. Standing before his slumbering other half, Albedo bit his lip and fought the stinging in his glassy amethysts. With a hand lingering towards his half-heart, the white-haired twin prayed. _Say…say my name, Rubedo…just once more._ It was all Albedo asked.

"…Sakur-"

The same hand clutching his heart flew across Albedo's face, vigorously wiping away spilling tears. No! He would not cry because of this! This was all a simple dream, one that started beautifully and ended badly. Sooner or later, Albedo would wake up and he could resume his tagalong lifestyle of being Rubedo's obnoxious brother…his baggage…his burden…his…

…Blood.

Before the disheartened boy could wallow any deeper into his self-loathing, Albedo's watery eyes noticed a particular redness near Rubedo's head. It blended perfectly with the older brother's hair, camouflaged so well it was obvious why Albedo never noticed the liquid in the first place. The only reason Albedo saw it now was because the redness was getting thicker, spreading wider into a small pool around Rubedo's head.

Albedo's eyes widened. A U.R.T.V. was very familiar with the sight of blood and gore, having seen plenty of it on battlefields in the past. Thus, Albedo was not squeamish of blood, since he was very desensitized by the sight. Frankly, the middle child grew to almost like the pretty, pretty liquid. The deep crimson color reminded him of…

…_Wait a minute!_

Before Albedo could wander back into fantasyland, horror struck him upon realizing that _blood_ was pooling around Rubedo's _head_! Granted, the blood was not a substantial amount, but…when Albedo suddenly realized that this was no dream, the white-haired brother rushed back to his twin's side. The distasteful fetor of blood was faint, but very alive and stung Albedo's nostrils like smoke. Knowing the redolence was coming from his other half further twisted a knife in Albedo's chest.

Rubedo was bleeding. The redhead was not merely sleeping; he really was unconscious!

_Oh God._

Rubedo was _bleeding_…_unconscious_…breathing, yes, he was breathing, but…

…But the paranoid younger half of the twins could not help but become overwhelmed with fear. Albedo never minded the sight of blood, unless it came from Rubedo. Blood either meant life, or _death_, and if the latter ever happened to Rubedo…

_Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!_

Albedo had to stay calm. Rubedo probably just banged his head, maybe all thanks to when Albedo fell on top of him? Oh great, now Albedo was worried that he was responsible for his twin's potential death! No, _no, no_! Rubedo was still breathing! Albedo desperately needed to take a few deep breaths, himself. Yes. _Breathe_! _Think_! U.R.T.V.s knew basic CPR, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation…

Despite how dire this situation appeared, Albedo flushed.

_Mouth-to-mouth…with…RUBEDO?!_

Fantasyland was calling Albedo again…

…_Oh BE SERIOUS!! _Albedo chastised himself, nearly slapping himself back to reality. This was no joking matter! Rubedo could be _dying _for all Albedo's overactive imagination knew! But wait, if Rubedo was still breathing, then there was no need for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, was there?

Despite how dire this situation appeared, Albedo cursed.

With the fantasies thwarted again, Albedo dropped to his knees next to his unconscious other half. The small blood pool did not seem to be spreading quickly, so that meant whatever wound Rubedo acquired was probably clotting, or minor. Still, the very thought of Rubedo bleeding drove Albedo's anxieties to their highest degrees. Gingerly cradling Rubedo's head, Albedo's fingers sifted through his twin's locks, fishing through sticky blood to try and find the wound. He felt a small bump where the blood seemed most prominent. His amethyst eyes peering up at the hole in their room's ceiling, Albedo bit his lip. _Rubedo must have fallen like I did_, only Rubedo did not have anything to cushion his landing like Albedo.

"Mm…arg…" Rubedo continued to make garbled moans, obviously falling in and out of his stupor. Whenever U.R.T.V.s got severely injured, they were told to dive-out of the Encephalon immediately. However, the train Albedo and the others currently boarded was a substantial distance away from the exit point. U.R.T.V.s could self-eject themselves in emergencies, but Rubedo certainly could not eject himself if he were delirious. Albedo supposed he could carry Rubedo to the exit. Such was a task the younger twin did not mind, but Albedo had to remember how he got himself lost in the nearby forest. Matters could get dangerous if Albedo lugged his unconscious brother into the forest, got lost, and ran into Gnosis. At least if Nigredo were around, Albedo stood a better chance of getting Rubedo to safety.

It appeared that the best option was for Albedo to find Nigredo first. Of course, only _now_ did Albedo realize he left the baby Variant to fend for himself in the woods. _Argh_, what a mess this day turned into! Knowing he could scold himself later, Albedo looked back down at Rubedo's sleeping head. In order to find Nigredo, that meant Albedo would have to leave Rubedo, which was a task Albedo was not relishing. But like it or not, the duty had to be done, else Albedo risked losing Rubedo.

At the very least, Albedo wanted to help stop that bleeding. Biting his right sleeve, the younger twin tore off several thin pieces of his uniform. U.R.T.V. uniforms were specially designed to withstand enemy attacks, and were coated in various layers. Albedo only succeeded in tearing off the thin first layer of his sleeve, but it was enough material to wrap around Rubedo's head. When the makeshift bandage was complete, Albedo rested Rubedo's head back onto the carpeted floor. At least the bandage should stop the bleeding.

Wiping his bloodstained palms across his pants, Albedo then glanced back down at his twin. Regardless of the situation, Rubedo still looked adorable lying there, provoking a smile to tease the corners of Albedo's lips.

"_Rubedo's…so lucky to have you, Albedo."_

Perhaps Sakura was right all along.

"_And…YOU'RE very lucky to have Rubedo, too, Albedo."_

No. There was no need for the word "perhaps." Sakura _was_ right all along.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," whispered Albedo, tenderly stroking Rubedo's sticky scarlet hair. And while Albedo knew promises were Rubedo's personal fetishes, for once in his life, Albedo added, "I promise."

With that, the younger twin climbed to his feet, determined to end this crazy day once and for all. Albedo knew if he dared to look back at Rubedo, hindrances would follow, so the white-haired U.R.T.V. kept his eyes and thoughts focused straight ahead, heading for the cabin's door. The sooner Albedo found Nigredo, the sooner Rubedo would be okay. That was reason enough for Albedo.

- - - - -

Rubedo had dreams, too. Ebbing and flowing in and out of consciousness, the link master drifted from one little vision to another. Everything was still a blur, and all Rubedo could see was bright white. It was not the cliché "white light" people claimed to see when traversing the outskirts of death, either. No. This white was something else.

_White…Sakura's dress._

Was she nearby? Of course she was! Where _else_ would this lovely white be coming from?

Whatever this was, it felt warm and familiar, as if Rubedo snuggled in a fluffy white blanket. Smiling contently, the redhead nestled in the embrace, feeling something soft tickle his nose. Hair? Yes, that must be it. The velvety soft locks smelt so sweet, attracting Rubedo's nose to burry itself deeper into the head of hair. Arms laced around him, and he returned the embrace. This moment reminded Rubedo of whenever he and Sakura met every morning, sharing warm welcoming hugs. She was so warm, so soft, and her hair always smelt like sweet, sweet cherries.

Strangely, Rubedo did not smell cherries right now.

Oh well. Let him cuddle with his beloved for a while longer. Rubedo did not care how "gross" or "inappropriate" it seemed. True, a few years ago Rubedo acted as though girls carried a contagious disease. Nevertheless, he enjoyed being like this. Rubedo never used to be so close to anyone, aside…

_…Albedo._

Why did Rubedo feel a pang inside his chest at that moment?

Perhaps it was because Sakura's dress was not the _only _thing that came to mind whenever Rubedo thought of the color white. The pang came again, and Rubedo's arms tightened protectively, though more for his own protection than that of the person he held. Yes, there was a time when Rubedo disliked girls. Back then; the boy thought he had all he would ever need whenever Rubedo looked into the eyes reflecting his favorite color. But times had changed, as did Rubedo. Truthfully, Rubedo liked and welcomed changes, but he always seemed to have a keener attraction to the past; things even more valuable than Lost Jerusalem relics. After all, the past was irreversible, permanent. The present was changeable, and the future was uncertain, but nothing could alter what happened in the past. And while everyone's past harbored some bitterness, Rubedo had to admit that there were elements in his past that the present and future could never supersede. Precious memories, like jewels…amethysts.

And though he would be damned to ever verbally admit it, Rubedo sometimes missed those days. Sakura's white embraces were mesmerizing, but when the twins embraced, Rubedo felt…whole. The worst part was, the redhead was unable to decide which white brought him the greater joy:

_Sakura?_

_Albedo?_

In the end, Rubedo's happiness was probably thanks to _both_.

- - - - -

"_I promise."_

The poor middle Variant's act of faithful nobility did not work swimmingly, as did the rest of Albedo's plans for today. As the sun sank further and further, and as the overcast shadows grew darker and longer, Albedo sniffled harder and harder.

Where the damn hell was Nigredo when Albedo needed him?! To Albedo's credit, he had been keeping track of his surroundings and knew his way back to the train. But again, _where the hell was Nigredo_?! It was getting dark, Rubedo needed help, and Albedo was wasting time wandering aimlessly for his useless little brother! He tried the mental link, and Nigredo was nowhere to be found, probably still disconnected. Albedo knew he only had himself to blame for that issue. He was not too surprised to know that Nigredo was nowhere to be found in this spooky forest, either. _I KNEW Nigredo would chicken out!_

Then again, Albedo was not one to poke fun at others for "chickening out." The forest was darker, creepier, and still had those scratching branches clawing at each other in the wind. Shivering, the white-haired boy wrapped his arms around himself, shuddering timidly and grinding his teeth. Albedo passionately despised this damn forest!

_Rubedo…_

Sadly, Rubedo was not here to cling onto. Quite the opposite, Rubedo needed Albedo to stay strong and handle this situation maturely. Yes, Albedo could do that for Rubedo! Yes, prove to Rubedo that Albedo was valiant and could save his older brother once in a while, instead of the other way around. Then Rubedo would be so proud of Albedo, praising his little brother.

"_Albedo, I'm so proud of you." _Albedo could save Rubedo's life!

"_Albedo, you saved me!" _It was a perfect situation!

"_Albedo, you're my hero!" _…Er, okay, that was pushing the envelope, but Albedo did enjoy dreaming. Heavens knew Rubedo went off on his little whimsical tangents, so why could Albedo not do the same? Still, Albedo would be lying if he claimed he never wished Rubedo were the one grappling onto him once in a while, instead of vice versa…

…But now was certainly not the time for this. Technically, Rubedo _was _relying on Albedo to get help. Regardless of any good or bad repercussions, Albedo was not about to let death claim his precious other half any sooner than necessary. Since Nigredo was pointless as ever, Albedo about-faced and headed back whence he came, picking up his pace amidst the dropping sunset. Everything was darker, but also bathed in a beautiful red sky.

It was all the more incentive the young boy needed to hurry back to Rubedo.

So preoccupied with his other half, Albedo never noticed the strange shadow that had been following him the entire time.

- - - - -

Rubedo should have known better than to tell Albedo about Sakura, specifically, admit that Rubedo 'liked' Sakura. But at the time, Rubedo was too far up cloud nine to care about the negative consequences. More over, Rubedo figured his brothers might be happy for him, undergoing his first encounter with puppy love. Sometimes, the boys talked about 'love,' and what they wondered it might be like to be in a 'relationship.' Since they were U.R.T.V.s, the Variant boys doubted they would ever engage in a "meaningful, long-lasting relationship," fully embellished with marriage and kids. It never hurt to wonder. Considering Sakura was probably the closest Rubedo would ever get to a "meaningful, long-lasting relationship," the link master naively assumed his jubilation would be shared amongst his brothers.

Well, the good news was Nigredo was happy for Rubedo.

The bad news…was more than obvious.

Albedo never uttered a word. While Nigredo started chatting a combination of congratulations and teases to Rubedo, the middle brother stood idle. He stared into oblivion, emotionless like the standard U.R.T.V.s. It was a miracle Albedo ever blinked and breathed, though those involuntary bodily functions were the extent of any actions Albedo made at that moment. He never spoke, he never whined, and he never cried. Instead, Albedo just…stood there, absorbing Rubedo's confession:

"_I…I like her, you guys. I mean, you' know…I 'really' like Sakura."_

It took a long time for Rubedo to finally admit to himself, never mind admit to his brothers, how he felt about Sakura Mizrahi. When the confession was made, the burden was lifted, but not without a price. Nothing was free, after all, and Rubedo learned that lesson the second he saw Albedo's blank stare.

The redhead was not naïve to Albedo's possessiveness. Lord knew Albedo got jealous whenever Rubedo paid more attention to Nigredo, and Sakura was the same case. However, Rubedo did not feel he needed Albedo's damn "blessing" in order to live his life! Still, considering the twins often felt the other's feelings through their shared heart, Rubedo did hope Albedo would be a little understanding. Dominantly, Rubedo wanted Albedo to understand that though Rubedo sincerely liked Sakura, that did not change what the twins shared.

Yes, Rubedo was naïve when he was in love. Albedo never seemed to understand Rubedo's intentions, nor did the twins' bond remain unchanged after that day.

_Albedo…_

So now, Rubedo was caught between the bittersweet limbo of his consciousness and unconscious, embraced by warm bliss and clouded by sad memories. Both Sakura and Albedo were precious to Rubedo, but the redhead also admitted that his twin brother got on his nerves far more than Sakura ever did. For twelve long years, Rubedo often had to "tweak" his life in order to make Albedo happy. Perhaps such was Rubedo's duty as the oldest brother. However, Rubedo eventually realized he was tweaking his relationships with other people, just so his twin would not throw a hissy fit. There were times when Rubedo wanted to spend more time with Nigredo and Sakura, but he cut their time short, knowing Albedo would begin whining about being "forgotten." God knew Albedo was not happy being "second best."

Such pissed Rubedo off.

When Sakura came into Rubedo's life, his attraction to her was something he never experienced before. More profoundly, it was the first time Rubedo started doing things for himself. He wasted twelve years catering to his brothers, namely Albedo. No matter how selfish Rubedo felt, he was happy to be involved in a relationship that did not require him to constantly worry about how Albedo would react. When Sakura was near, Rubedo paid more attention to her, and he liked it. He was well aware such pissed Albedo off, but…

…Frankly, Rubedo liked that, too.

Contradicting voices dubbed Rubedo a selfish little brat, while also claiming Rubedo needed to be happy, and Albedo needed to "leave the nest." Surely, Albedo could not cling to Rubedo forever. Rubedo deserved to live his life the way he wanted it, not the way Albedo wanted it. Maybe once Albedo found someone to love, like Rubedo with Sakura, then the white-haired twin would back off. All Albedo needed was that special soul mate he could love and adore, and Rubedo would become a thing of the past. Then the link master could _finally _tell Sakura his deepest feelings for her.

_To hell with Albedo! I've got a life to live, too, dammit! If Albedo doesn't like it, that's too bad for him. He can get over it. Sakura needs me, too, and she's been a helluva lot more manageable. She deserves to know how I feel. It's hard enough to tell a girl how one feels about her, never mind worrying about how a certain 'someone' is gonna' hit the ceiling when he finds out. I deserve to get on with my Goddamn LIFE!_

What more of an incentive did Rubedo need?

_Come hell or high water, I WILL confess my feelings._

The redhead's determination was adequate enough for Rubedo to finally snap open his azure eyes. Of course, a second later, the same eyes slammed shut when a gigantic migraine pounded his skull. Wincing painfully, the boy's hand absentmindedly flew to his hair, clutching the bandaged bump on his head…

…_Bandages?_

Though blinking was painful, Rubedo perked upon realizing soft material had been wrapped around his head. He could not see the bandages, and he was not dumb enough to remove them, either. Nevertheless, Rubedo could not help but wonder _where'd the bandages come from?_ The fabric did not feel familiar, as it was hardened by dried blood. It was too difficult to identify the material without removing it. Somebody obviously nursed the redhead while he was knocked out, but whom?

Who _else_? The only other person on this train was Sakura.

_Sakura_… How characteristic of Sakura Mizrahi to aid a person in need, especially Rubedo. Smiling also hurt Rubedo's achy face, but Sakura's kindness was worth a smarting smile. Hell, Sakura was worth _more_, but Rubedo did not see her in the vicinity for him to offer any other rewards. Come to think of it, where was Sakura? Perhaps she went to find help. Sakura probably tended to Rubedo's head injury and then ran to go find Nigredo and Albedo. She was such a sweet, sweet girl. It was no wonder why Rubedo loved her.

Unfortunately, Rubedo noticed the dimming light outside the broken window in his train cabin. The woods were nearby, and he did not like the idea of Sakura wandering by herself, wandering in the dark inside a Gnosis-filled forest. Rubedo's duty was to protect Sakura, not the other way around. Thus, the red-haired leader staggeringly climbed to his feet, grinding his teeth every time his head throbbed a protest. Dmitri would lecture Rubedo's reckless injury upon dive-out, but the link master had better concerns than his damned father. Shuffling wearily towards his cabin's door, the partially dizzy redhead mustered as much strength as possible to press onward. Rubedo had to find Sakura. Most importantly, Rubedo had to tell her how he felt.

- - - - -

Albedo's boots had just climbed into the train's passenger cart when the middle Variant crashed into the back of a seat. Sunset was waning, and the train's insides were considerably darker by now. Albedo would have to be careful not to walk into anything, or stupidly walk back into another hole. Instead, he stayed put for a second, propping himself against a chair for a brief respite. After running all the way back to the train, never mind after all the other running around he did today, Albedo was exhausted. Leaning against the dirty yet soft seat, the white-haired boy panted heavily, needing a second to catch his breath. Jeez, today had been one hell of a day.

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

And the day was not over, either.

Whatever that roaring 'thing' was, Albedo was getting tired of dealing with it. However, Albedo also had no intentions of meeting it face-to-face. Right now, he needed to find Rubedo. This train was clearly unsafe, and poor Rubedo already sustained an injury after wandering into this metal deathtrap. Knowing the best solution was getting Rubedo out of this place, Albedo cut-short his respite and ran deeper into the darkness of the train. The farther he went, the fewer windows there were, and the more darkness arose. Openly, Albedo never liked the dark, but his will to save Rubedo was stronger.

_Run faster! Faster! _Albedo encouraged himself, following his own advice and rushing through corridors to the cabin he left Rubedo. The room was not far from the entrance Albedo used, though it was still difficult to see around the dimly lit train. _Hurry! Find Rubedo and get the hell out of here! Rubedo will be safe, and so happy…_

Albedo could see it now: _"Albedo, thank you. You saved me…"_ …But now was not the time to get lost in fantasies, especially when he was becoming lost in a dark, derelict train.

But as the adage went, _"from darkness comes light."_ And while actual light did not technically come before Albedo's eyes, his own personal "light of his life" suddenly strolled into Albedo's line of vision. _Oh thank God! _Rubedo was alive, even _walking_! The train's poor illumination was bright enough for Albedo to see the back of Rubedo's bandaged head, while the redhead appeared to be wandering away, as though looking for someone. His back to Albedo, Rubedo continued his blind search. What, or who, was the leader looking for?

Albedo thought he knew 'who' Rubedo was looking for, which drove Albedo to pump his legs with enough adrenaline to reach his other half. While it was probably a bad idea to careen into a wounded person's back, Albedo was too happy to care. Besides, the yelping Rubedo never fell forward thanks to his twin's arms wrapping around his waist. Immediately nuzzling his face into Rubedo's back, Albedo smiled jovially, thanking every known god that his twin was safe. _Rubedo…_

Rubedo, on the other hand, felt as though the wind got knocked out of him. He stumbled slightly, and it took a valiant effort on his part not to jump or take a defensive stance. Perhaps his lack of reflex was due to his pounding headache, or perhaps it was because the gentle arms around Rubedo clearly did not pose a threat. Such a soft, warm embrace encompassed him, minutely similar to the white fluffy hug Rubedo dreamed. Was he still dreaming, or was his dream coming true? If the latter was true, then Rubedo did not need to see through the darkness to know who was holding him.

_Sakura…_

Unable to turn around and face his embracer, Rubedo did the next best thing and brought a hand to one of the hands around him. His heart pounded, but Rubedo savored every minute of the rapturous bliss. Offering an affectionate squeeze, Rubedo smiled warmly, hoping to radiate such benevolence in his words. "I'm glad you're here."

Albedo's eyes instinctively blinked. Honestly, though Albedo always cherished hugging Rubedo, such rarely ever came without an obligatory "hugging is babyish" lecture on the older brother's behalf. As the twins got older, Albedo's signs of affection obviously began to embarrass Rubedo. Yet, lo and behold, no lectures seemed on the horizon for this particular moment. Then again, nobody else was around to gawk at the twins' hugging, so perhaps there was no reason for Rubedo to feel embarrassed. Whatever the excuse, Albedo wasted no time in affectionately squeezing his dear other half. Albedo enjoyed being like this.

Rubedo enjoyed being like this, too. There was something keenly heartwarming about being this close to the one he loved most. And while this moment was not a cliché "perfect opportunity," Rubedo knew there was no better time than the present to say what he was about to speak. Heavens knew he waited long enough.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," the redhead apologized, tenderly stroking the arms holding him close. "My mind's kinda' been wandering today, and I was reckless. But I'm gonna' be okay," he winked with a confident little giggle. "It'll take more than this to stop me, but, heh, I'm sure you already knew that."

Albedo most certainly did know it. His other half was so strong.

"I just…haven't been thinking very clearly lately, and…" Rubedo trailed, biting his lip for a second to try and word himself as delicately as possible. The redhead knew he was not the most eloquent of speakers, and now was not the time he wanted his big mouth to spoil this wonderful moment. "…I know my mind's been wandering…because of you. I don't meant that in a 'bad' sense, either," he added, trying to lighten the conversation before Rubedo accidentally inflicted unintentional harm. "Heh, quite the contrary, every time my mind wanders to you, it feels…" A line of blush accompanied Rubedo's brief pause, before he managed to admit "…_Good_."

It was impossible for Albedo not to do a double take. For a moment, the younger twin wondered if he was indeed dreaming. Never before had Rubedo spoken so openly to Albedo, minus a few rare exceptions in the twins' pasts. Rubedo was too much of a damn hotshot to speak his heart. Surely, if Albedo was not dreaming, then his ears were playing tricks, very crude tricks, too. Honestly, the words Rubedo just spoke made Albedo's heart flutter, and he did not want to discover that such feelings were on account of a dream or joke. Albedo wanted this to be _real_.

"I like thinking about you, and I like being with you, too," confessed Rubedo, feeling his face flush more fervently with each word. His nervous body quaked, but he was not about to cower from this moment, especially when he came so close to reaching his goal. Once again clutching one of the hands around him, Rubedo brought the hand to his chest, lacing fingers tightly. "You…you mean everything to me."

The younger heart squeezed, and that was when Albedo buried his face deeper into Rubedo's back. The location where the twins were once conjoined suddenly dampened, while the trembling Albedo poorly stifled an overjoyed sob. If this was a dream, Albedo never wanted to awaken. _Oh Rubedo…_

Noticing the soft sob, Rubedo's blushing face softened slightly, before he stroked the other's hand once again. "Hey, don't cry," he gently encouraged with a compassionate smile. Honestly, though Rubedo saw more than enough waterworks during his lifetime, he never liked to see people weep, especially the people he loved. "You don't need to be sad. I'm here, and I'll always protect you." Rubedo almost added his trademark "I promise," but he doubted there was a need. He knew his point was made the moment his embrace tightened in another shaking, yet affectionate, squeeze. The redhead's heart continued to throb, but it all felt so good that Rubedo knew he could not resist cutting to the chase. "I know I always don't act like it, but…the truth is…I-I…I-"

_Dammit_. Rubedo did not want to lose his nerve now of all times! He was so painstakingly close to finally saying it! _Come' on, dammit! You've faced harder challenges than this! Spit it out! _His mental cheers sparked additional confidence, while the oldest Variant took a deep gulp of air. It was now or never. If Rubedo messed this up, he might as well never bother to try again. _Say it! You know you want to! _Truthfully, Rubedo _did _want to say it: three little words that would probably change everything. Somehow, Rubedo had a feeling the risk would be worthwhile. His heart raced, his head pounded, cheeks were ablaze, but somehow, the lovesick boy managed to finally say, "…I love you."

He could not believe it. Albedo simply could not believe it.

"…_I love you."_

And yet, why was it so hard to believe? After all, he and Rubedo were each other's half. For so long, the younger twin thought he was merely flattering himself into believing Rubedo loved him, but now…

"…_I love you."_

…Now, Albedo knew the _truth_. To say Albedo was "happy" was a gargantuan understatement. Cloud nine probably did not even reach Albedo's current state! All the romance clichés whirled around inside the middle child: butterflies in the stomach, throbbing heart, I-died-and-went-to-Heaven…this _was_ the happiest moment in Albedo's young life.

The younger twin's face was pink and soaked, but a brilliant smile illuminated Albedo's face, arguably more brilliant than his pristine white hair. So overcome with joy of all bliss and extremities, Albedo held onto Rubedo as tightly as possible, euphorically sobbing into the redhead's back "Oh Rubedo, I love you, too!"

The link master's heart almost leapt when he got the answer he sought. To know his love was returned filled Rubedo with such relief, warmth, happiness, and ecstasy…

...Too bad Rubedo's reality-check burst his fantasyland's bubble again.

_Wait a second_… Rubedo suddenly realized, disturbingly widening his blue eyes upon noticing the voice that just replied to his little confession was…_That's not Sakura. That's…_

"ALBEDO, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Two seconds later, the exasperated link master tore himself away from his not-so-blissful-anymore hug. Rubedo nearly stumbled into a wall before realizing his white-skirted companion was not standing before him; it was his white-haired idiot of a brother! Then again, _who _was the 'idiot' for not checking to see whom he was talking to? Sakura was nowhere to be found! How in God's name did Albedo get on this train?! Further more, how the hell did Albedo manage to sneak up behind Rubedo? U.R.T.V.s could always sense when another was near, provided they were connected to the mental link_…Oh crap, he disconnected himself again, didn't he?_ How long had Albedo been there, listening to Rubedo's confession?

"_Oh Rubedo, I love you, too!"_

Obviously, Albedo had been around _long enough_.

_Dammit_… Rubedo suddenly shuddered, feeling his migraine multiply upon realizing fate screwed him over once again. _This can't be happening_. Perhaps, if Rubedo was lucky, this whole episode was a dream. Maybe that head injury was worse than Rubedo thought. _I should've known this moment was too Goddamn good to be true!_

But judging by the big _smile_ on Albedo's face, this was not a dream.

_Rubedo…loves me! LOVES me! _No matter how many times Albedo said it, the phrase never got old. Yet, no matter how many times he thought it, Albedo needed to hear the confession again, just to make sure he was not imagining things. Oh, it was bliss…sweet, sweet bliss. Naturally, Albedo forgot all about the Sakura ordeal, because why should he have to worry about her anymore? Rubedo loved _Albedo_, after all.

Rubedo did _not _like that look on Albedo's blushy, smiley face. Well, okay, that was a lie. Rubedo could not recall ever seeing his twin so happy, and such easily made the older twin happy. Rubedo almost forgot that there was a time when Albedo frequently smiled, but those times seemed few a far between nowadays. Rubedo did miss that bright smile.

How could Rubedo possibly tell Albedo the truth about his confession?

_Dammit…dammit_… The older brother continued to curse himself, trying to finagle a loophole out of this current mess Rubedo made. He would be damn stupid to say "Oh sorry, Albedo. I thought you were Sakura." Such asininity was equivalent to Rubedo running back upstairs and willingly falling back through that hole in the floor. If Albedo unearthed the truth, he would be crushed, and…Rubedo did not want that to happen.

"…_I love you."_

Was it technically a lie?

_"Rrrrrrraaaaaaaoooorrrrrr!"_

Before the red-faced Rubedo could ponder any deeper, he and his twin spun around towards the direction of that oh-so familiar, and oh-so obnoxious, roar. As if Rubedo did not have enough aggravations and headaches thanks to this day, this 'thing' irritated the link master's final nerve. Snarling in annoyance, Rubedo tightened his fists and prepared to face…

…An actual _face_!

"What the hell?!" the wide-eyed Rubedo gasped, watching as an actual face appeared from the darkness; pale…and _floating_. Down the corridor it came, closer and closer to the twin Variants, breaking all laws of logic and reasoning and sending the boys into unparalleled shock. _What the hell is this thing?!_

Suddenly, Rubedo realized he did not care. More than ever, he just wanted this crazy day to be over. Not having the patience to deal with this face, ghost, or whatever it may be, the redhead stomped ahead, past his petrified brother, and stormed to face the 'face.' Never listening to Albedo's calls, the irritated link master concentrated his thoughts as keenly as possible. Rubedo had to be careful when using his power, but for some reason, he was not worried. For some reason, an odd confidence filled him as the boy extended a hand towards the approaching monster. It was not often that Rubedo possessed a high level of faith in his true powers, considering his grave fear of them going berserk. Yet, he remained focused and optimistic as a faint red glow illuminated from his hand. Where did this confidence come from? Was Rubedo just getting full of himself again, or was it because…

"…_I love you."_

No. That was not the source. The source was…

"_Oh Rubedo, I love you, too!"_

Perfectly coordinated with the crimson on his face, the matching red aura burst from Rubedo's hand, blasting right between the fiend's eyes. Rubedo's perfect aim not only sent the enemy flying, but the creature also fazed into nothingness, very much like a ghost, but more so like a…_Gnosis_!

Better recognizing the enemy as it faded into oblivion whence it came, Rubedo gazed silently, realizing a rather embarrassing truth. _Don't tell me…the whole time…it was an Expression?!_ Judging by the creature's mask-like face, ornamental cloaks and medallions, not to mention its transparent, shadowy body…Rubedo nearly slapped his forehead. He and his friends had been spooked for absolutely no reason. Their imaginations really went wild today. _Well, at least this day is almost over._

"Almost" over, anyway. There was one more thing that needed to be done.

"You…saved me, Rubedo…"

Hearing Albedo's surprised voice, Rubedo rolled his eyes once. "Yeah, well, it was just an Expression." Rubedo was actually embarrassed to admit that, too. He, of all people, should have known better. There was no such thing as ghosts! Impishly scratching the back of his neck, the redhead sighed before turning back towards the stunned Albedo. It somewhat offended Rubedo to see his twin look so surprised. _What the hell did he think I'd do; LET that Gnosis hurt him? What kind of a dumbass leader lets his comrades get hurt?!_ "It was no big deal, Albedo."

Quite the contrary, it _was _a "big deal" to Albedo. Then again, Albedo tended to make a big deal out of almost everything, but this moment was different. Very often, Albedo believed Rubedo's boasts of being brave were just for show, but the redhead proved himself to be quite gallant. Rubedo was indeed a leader…a _hero_.

"…_I love you."_

"Anyway, we'd better get out of here…" Rubedo trailed, turning back around and trying to find the nearest exit. "…There might be more Gnosis around, and we need to find-!"

Cut-short and spun around before he could react, Rubedo's head jerked back the moment he felt something collide into him again. Just as before, the culprit of the collision was Albedo. Only this time, Albedo did not careen into Rubedo's back, but his front. Arms were no longer around Rubedo's midsection, but hands gripped his shoulders, drawing him closer. Ironically, as hands tugged Rubedo forward, a contradicting pressure slightly pushed his head back by a fraction. The pressure was not uncomfortable, but actually quite warm, soft…warmer and softer than anything Rubedo ever felt before in his life. Surprised blue eyes blinked a few times, the boy attempting to absorb what was happening. Both of his hearts beat to a unique rhythm, before the same sapphires orbs slowly closed so Rubedo could absorb the sweet taste on his lips.

Strangely, Rubedo could not decide which was more surprising: the actual kiss, or the sliver of disappointment he felt when Albedo finally pulled away.

Of course, Albedo did not pull away entirely; just enough for him to wrap his arms back around his precious other half. Resting his ear back against Rubedo's half-heart, Albedo breathed in his twin's scent, pursing his lips to savor lingering bliss. Affectionately squeezing Rubedo, the white-haired twin whispered a soft "you're _my _hero, Rubedo."

Of course, Rubedo blushed upon realizing the sadistic little irony of the matter.

"_You're my hero, Rubedo!"_

Well, Rubedo did get what he wanted, right?

Sort of.

While Albedo smiled contently against Rubedo's chest, all Rubedo could do was glance heavenward and silently admit defeat.

- - - - -

"Rubedo! Albedo! There you are!" called Sakura, rushing over to the Variant twins upon noticing them step off the train. Running through a train aisle, the brunette girl then followed the boys off the train, hopping down onto the cool grass outside. The sun had almost fully set by then, painting the sky in dark violet with a few meager slivers of fading orange. Early stars began to shimmer as well, and a few artificial crickets were already chirping in the distance. U.R.T.V.s rarely stayed in Sakura's subconscious domain this long, and Dmitri would most certainly not be pleased with today's reports. However, Rubedo suddenly realized that after today, he did not give a damn.

Scampering to the twins, Sakura sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright. I went looking for you guys on the train, and I kinda' got lost…" she trailed, attempting to hide the previous trepidation in her voice. "…But as long as you're okay, that's all that mat-oh my goodness, what happened to your head, Rubedo?!"

Remembering his bandages, Rubedo blinked before waving a passive hand to Sakura. "Aw, don't worry about it. It's just a little bump on the head," he reassured with a confident grin. Then again, why was Sakura so surprised? Did she not nurse Rubedo's wound, or was it...? "No need to worry."

"Good." Smiling in relief, Sakura then noticed Rubedo's twin by the redhead's side. This, of course, was nothing knew, since Albedo was always clinging to Rubedo. However, Sakura could not help but notice how much…_happier _Albedo looked. In fact, Sakura could not recall seeing Albedo this animated. While she did not understand the situation, the young girl did admittedly feel her smile broaden. She had a sinking suspicion that the only person in the world who could make Albedo smile that brightly was Rubedo.

"Hey, what's that you're holding, Sakura?"

Her attention returning to the current situation, the white-dressed girl glanced down to the little creature nestled in her arms. Due to the late evening, "it" had already fallen asleep, and matched almost perfectly with Sakura's pristine dress. "Hehe, this little guy happens to be our 'presence,' Rubedo," Sakura giggled sheepishly, not at all surprised to hear the twins gasp in shock. Delicately stroking the creature's long white ears, Sakura then hugged the plush-like cutie pie like a stuffed animal. "I found him jumping around on the train, crunching glass. I think he's been following me all this time. I never knew Bunnies existed in my subconscious domain!"

_Neither did we_… Rubedo and Albedo exchanged suspicious glances. The Variants always believed the only Bunnie in Sakura's domain was her bedroom's stuffed Bunnie. Interestingly, the rabbit in Sakura's arms looked remarkably similar to her plushie, or perhaps it was safer to assume that the toy resembled real Bunnies? That never explained why this Bunnie had crease marks and stitches, though. At least this explained the glass-crunching mystery on the train, but...

"…Are you…_sure _that Bunnie's real, Sakura?" Rubedo hesitated, taking a cautious step closer to Sakura and the sleeping toy-like creature. "Albedo and I found an Expression roaming the train. It could be manipulating your stuffed animal." Yes, he realized how ridiculous he sounded, but Rubedo's theory did not sound any stranger than the rest of today's misadventure.

"You think Bunnie might be possessed?!" Sakura shrieked with wide eyes.

"Maybe not 'possessed,' just…argh, I don't know! Albedo, what do you think?"

The younger brother never replied. In fact, much to Rubedo's surprise, Albedo kept staring up at the train, specifically the locomotive area. He could have sworn he saw something move in the engine room, something dark…shady…suspicious…

Was it another Expression? Another Gnosis?

"Rubedo…d-did you just see that?" Sakura stammered, apparently noticing the same shadow Albedo spotted. Clutching Bunnie to her chest, Sakura then swallowed before nudging an inch closer to the link master. "What was that?"

Swallowing as well, Rubedo steadied his nerves. All of a sudden, his surroundings became very warm. Sakura was inching closer to Rubedo's left, and to his right came Albedo. The worst part was Rubedo could not tell which person provoked the most blushes on his face. _Dammit_, this day had been confusing, but he still doubted the train was "haunted," especially after finding that Expression. The Expression had been roaring around, the Bunnie was playing with glass, and either of the two could have easily instigated the earlier "tapping" episode. There was nothing to worry about, right?

So then why did Rubedo almost jump out of his skin upon hearing the train's screaming whistle tear through the silence? The sound was ear piercing, shrieking like a dying animal, and caused Rubedo to become Sakura and Albedo's grappling post. The younger twin's particularly stronger hold flushed Rubedo's face all over again. His heart pounding for more reasons than Rubedo cared to know. Naturally, Rubedo remembered Sakura's story: _"But the strangest part was how the second I tried to leave, I could have sworn I heard…a whistle. You' know, the kind trains used. It was faint, but I'm sure I heard it." _Surely, that train's electricity was dead, and nothing else was onboard! So then, why was the whistle working?! Who pulled it?! Whatever the hell was going on here, Rubedo knew it was suicide to subject Sakura and Albedo to any potential danger.

"Let's get the hell outta' here!" Rubedo declared, while his white-haired and white-skirted companions nodded quickly and followed him into the woods. Yes, they looked like scared little kids, and perhaps they were, but…

…The black shadow watching the show from the engine room smiled brightly. The whistle's rope still swung after being pulled, dangling behind the little culprit as Nigredo beamed with amused satisfaction.

Oh yes, today had been a _very_ fun adventure!

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N**: Hehehe, Nigredo, you sneaky little devil. And jeez, I never give Rubedo a break, do I? ^_~

Now I know I'm not known for writing "real" yaoi, but I'm gonna' go out on a limb and assume that maybe I succeeded this time? Maybe? No? Bah! I give up. I tried. Still, I hope readers enjoyed this story. I actually started it several months ago, but this story eventually got waylaid on my hard drive while I worked on other projects. Of course, when Halloween 2009 came around, I decided to finish this fic. I hope it was worthwhile.

Oh, and why Bunnie? Well, aside the fact that I adore sweet little U-Kun, I was inspired by the Bunnie in Episode I's Encephalon forest (the Bunnie obsessed with cans of carrot juice). I know the Bunnie in Sakura's room is a toy (or is it? Hehe). Hey, if KOS-MOS' subconscious can have a Bunnie hoarding cans of carrot juice, why can't Sakura's subconscious have a Bunnie who enjoys teasing lovesick little kids? Creative license rocks! Besides, the "real" instigator behind the spookiness was the Expression, anyway (those ghost-like Gnosis in Sakura's summer domain). I purposely wanted this story's mystery to turn out anti-climactic, a la "there was never anything to worry about in the first place / kids let their imaginations run wild" sorta' deal. This story was just meant to be a fun little escapade.

Anyway, thanks very much for reading this story. I'd appreciate any reviews on the finale (especially since kiss scenes, for _any _pairing, aren't overly common in my fics. Don't ask. I like to use kiss scenes sparingly in my stories. Then again, I don't normally write fics as mushy as this, either, so I have no idea what's come over me). I do hope everybody had fun with this fluff-fest. Again, thanks for reading! ^_^

**- Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus**

_**~* Lastly, from Aiselne to you, best of wishes for a safe and happy Halloween! *~**_


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